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GRACE CHURCH, BUILT 1853. 








A HISTORY 


OF 


GRACE CHURCH PARISH, 
MOUNT WASHINGTON, 


PITTSBURGH, PA. 


mt 


WITH LIST OF PARISHIONERS, VESTRYMEN, BAP- 
TISMS, CONFIRMATIONS, MARRIAGES, 
BURIALS, ET CETERA, 


BY 


REV: ROBERT JOHN) COSTER)! D:, D.; 


RECTOR. 


mt 


INCLUDING, ALSO, A SKETCH OF THE EARLY 
HISTORY OF THE PARISH, 


BY 


HON. THOMAS J. BIGHAM, 


LATE SENIOR WARDEN, 


1903 : 
WM. G. JOHNSTON & CO., 
PITTSBURGH. 


ILLUSTRATIONS: 


Grace Church, built) 1S8o5i25).)7.\scuie eee Frontispiece. 

Fronting Page 
Interior View of the Church... ..0. . 2) 23s 9 
The Rev. Gustavus W. Mayer............. aa A 
The Rev. B: B. Killitkelly, DD...) ae 16 
The Rev. ‘Robt. J. Coster, D. D..';.. 1) 18 
The Choir, October: 190382.) 4. eee 119 
The Bishop’s Chair i)... 34.3...) 120 
The Lecteria Ue ote Vk eae 122 
Mrs. Maria Louisa’ Bigham... 22 .)2'. /02 ee 257 
The Hon. Thomas]. Bigham. . .°. .).. 4.) eae 262 
George''T. Lowen). ))00 0200405) 264 
Abraham Kirkpatrick Lewis:).... 2). ) eee 266 
Squire Edward Bratt.) 0) 00.005 0100. 267 
John Conway Shaler, Jr. 2.2... 2.700 269 
William Luke Bond.) oo... i024 271 
Captain John Smith MeMillin’ 2.00.00). ee 272 
Major Samuel Harper... 00). 0s. 5): dea 275 
William , Halpin.) Joke 277 
Alfred Marland. ji). 285 ae 279 
Oliver Halpin Stinsom .)).2).0) 0.0) 020 280 
Melville L. Stout. jiggeuc .4)40u 281 
George Abraham Johnson! ......)...).0: 2 282 
Thomas (Prancis Ashtord:{ 56.) 05 2) ae eee 283 
Orm |W Sadler Me De ia a 284 
Whe Rector and Vestry (1903). 202 4005) See 285 


Henry Washington Neely ....-.4..-.... 00 sea 289 


TABLE OF CONTENTS. 


Page 
Ieee Byes he eal cabal ky ei MATS NS a ale seas esa abe 5 
Pei eOSE wee) '.\-f2'3 3-2 Go ct Se ER eee Wee 7 
Gueanization of the Parish...) 204 fuih 3 Wasi ae 8 
Laying the Corner Stone of the Church.......... 8 
Pe MEH ONG AAIO Go) o5.)2'2 1h re a yee eget Afar alo ae is.e 9 
Admitted to the Convention of Diocese of Penn- 
SMEWAH IAL sod ts os Bin ek Bee ease Beisel 9 
Openmaat the Churebiey «sais 4+ !ay\6 2/2 evel la s 9 
Secboettue Ghiurchiand Lat... 2 ou ats «span kee 10 
The Reverend James A. Stone................. 10 
The Reverend John G. Furey:.......0....0.5... 11 
The Reverend Richard Smith.................. 11 
The Reverend Charles W. Quick................ 12 
The Reverend Jubal Hodges’... 2. .)) 02.00 02 J s8 12 
The Reverend Gustavus Wilhelm Mayer........ 13 
Macaney im the Reetotship:... 02! d).). . jd nese gees 15 
The Reverend Bryan Bernard Killikelly, D. D.. 16 
Cost of Basement Sunday School Room....... 18 
The Reverend Robert John Coster, D.D........ 18 
Canseceration of the Church. \..5. ui. ie bya wd: 21 


Celebration of his Twentieth Anniversary(1888).. 40 
Celebration of his Thirtieth Anniversary (1898).... 91 
Improvements in the Neigborhood of the Church. 88 
Continuation of the History of his Rectorship to 


OWEN Rp alps yale Si) Rt cee pmee! Slab, SW Ed Qo fy at 95 
History of the Pipe Organ of the Church......... 107 
Estany or poe Cheire ss kre tks i. 5g be 110 
Chancel Furniture and Memorials............. 120 
Chameelhi Window cwe os es iyee es ae ca ye nite 121. 
Sratmed—Glass Windows ces ee eae di led ie 123 
The Mount Washington Reading Room......... 125 
GChantemorthe Panish Hoi yeeeil ae cara tee sate Rae 130 
Mestrresiothe Parish 04 22) ce Pa aoe ks 134 
Deputies to the Diocesan Conventions........... 140 
Lists of Parishioners......... 143, 144, 148, 157, 159 
Bae APMIS ears he ain wo) Su cal Dep a ne ts ht ey Sek 166 
(CS TaN TRENT EOS 6 EOE RG ESS i atic ST ee 209 


ISA R Fea ece Pe heh Mage es Paul Does ih hee 215 


4 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Page. 
Betas eee ee eee ee eS a a 230 
Obituary of Mrs. Maria Louise Bigham. ........ 257 
Members of the Vestry of 1851 ................. 262 
Hon. Thomas James Bigham.........2 1. 262 
George'T. Lowen. 2.0.20 052. 2 264 
Abraham Kirkpatrick Lewis ........\5.-s\senle 266 
Members of the Vestry of 1869.................. 267 
Members of the Vestry of 1893 ........... Pichi 279 
The Rector and the Vestry of 1903............. 285 
Henry W. Neely, S.S. Supt. and Vestryman... 289 
The Grace Church Guild... .. co 290 
The Coster Guild... .\.../. 2). 38)/ a 295 


A Sketch of the Early History of the Parish, by 
the Hon. Thomas James Bigham, late Senior 
Warden... ooo e 2. ee 296 


(See Index at end of book.) 


Pix rs, 


The men and women who took part in the found- 
ing of Grace Church have nearly all passed away. 
Soon there will be no one living who was present at 
the laying of the corner stone in April, 1852, or at 
the first opening of the church for divine service in 
September, 1853. 

We wish to perpetuate the memory of the deeds 
of those whose faith and zeal, whose loving sacrifices 
and labors established and built up the church, the 
ministrations and privileges of which the present 
generation of the people of Mount Washington are 
now enjoying; therefore, we have at some pains 
gathered such facts concerning the origin of the 
church as are now accessible, and such reminis- 
cences of its early history as the imperfect records 
give, and such other facts as the memories of those 
yet living, who were cognizant of the events, can 
supply. 

We are particularly indebted to the Hon. Thomas 
J. Bigham, long the senior warden of the parish, for 
an interesting account of its early history. This his- 
tory, prepared at the request of the Rector 
and Vestry, a few years before his death, will form 
an important part of the work. This, however, we 
may say,is only one of Mr. Bigham’s minor services of 
the parish; for, indeed, it was chiefly through his ef- 
forts and gifts, and those of his generous and devout 
wife, that the parish was organized and the church 
building erected. Others, indeed, as the history will 
show, helped in the work; but it was altogether due 
to the influence and solicitations of Mr. and Mrs. 
Bigham, in those early days, that help from other 
sources was forthcoming. Mrs. Bigham gave the 
ground on which the church stands, and she and her 
husband gave more than two-thirds of the three 
thousand dollars which the church originally cost. 
They both maintained their deep interest in the 
church to the end of their life. The writer knows 


6 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


well how much they loved the church, and how they 
valued its ministrations and gave freely to its sup- 
port. 

There are several other families which, although 
not among the originators of the church, were its 
constant attendants and supporters from a very 
early period in its history. Among these families 
the Goldthorps, the Bratts, the Halpins, the McMillins, 
the Shalers, the Bonds, the Goldings and the 
Torrences are to be mentioned. 

The faithful workers and the devout supporters 
of the Church of Christ deserve to be held in loving 
remembrance, and if this little work shall keep from 
oblivion the names of a few of these faithful ones, it 
will have served a worthy purpose, and the compiler 
will be amply rewarded for the time and labor de- 
voted to its preparation. 

RoBERT JOHN COSTER, 


Rector. 
BisHop Bowman INSTITUTE, 


Pittsburgh, October 10, 1903. 


A HISTORY ‘OF GRACE ‘CHURCH 
PARISH. 


LOCATION. 


Mount WASHINGTON, NOW THIRTY-SECOND WARD, 
PITTSBURGH. 


The district lying south of the Monongahela River, . 
on the top of the high bluff rising four hundred 
feet above the lower part of the city, directly oppo- 
site to old Fort Duquesne, is known as Mount Wash- 
ington (originally Coal Hill). As late as_ thirty 
years ago the only means of access to this district 
was a road starting from the south end of Smithfield 
Street Bridge and winding around the side of the 
hill, following a ravine, until it reached the top, 
where it led into the old Washington Road. In 
this district the descendants and heirs of Major 
Abraham Kirkpatrick were large landholders, among 
whom was Maria L. Lewis, afterwards Mrs. Thomas 
J. Bigham. Soon after her marriage her husband 
built a commodious brick residence on her land, 
and the family went to live on Mount Washington. 
The population at that time was small and there 
was no church in the district which now forms the 
Thirty-second Ward of Pittsburgh. As soon as 
they were settled in their new home Mr. and Mrs. 
Bigham opened a Sunday School for the children 
of the hill, and at once began to form plans for es- 
tablishing a church in the neighborhood. At first 
they obtained the use of the public school building 
for holding the Sunday School, and afterward serv- 
ices were held there until the church was built, 
in 1853. 

The inaccessibility of this district and the rough 
and at times muddy condition of the streets retarded 
the growth of the population for some years; but 
when, in 1872, the Monongahela Incline Plane, near 
the south end of the Smithfield Street Bridge, was 
opened for travel, and a little later the Duquesne 


8 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Incline, opposite the Point, the growth of the popula- 
tion became very rapid. Thenimproved board walks 
followed, and later paved streets, which rendered it a 
much more desirable place of residence. But during 
the time when the church was first organized, and for 
twenty years afterward, it was a region almost un- 
known in the city and was visited only by those 
whose interests or duty led them to climb the steep 
hill. 


ORGANIZATION OF THE PARISH. 
OcTOBER 22, 1851. 


Grace Church was organized and its articles of as- 
sociation were adopted at a meeting held in the pub- 
lic school building, on the corner of Sycamore and 
Spring (now Stanwix) Streets, on October 22, 1851, 
under the chairmanship of the Rey. William H. Pad- 
dock, missionary of the diocese in Western Pennsyl- 
vania. The following vestry was elected: Thomas J. 
Bigham, Senior Warden; Alexander Rowland, Junior 
Warden; George Lowen, William Adams, Richard 
Stubbs, Benjamin White, and A. Kirk Lewis. Among 
those present at the organization of the parish were 
Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. William 
Adams, A. Kirk Lewis, Andrew Rowland, Misses Au- 
gusta and Lucy Shaler (daughters of Judge Shaler), 
Mr. Richard Stubbs, Mr. and Mrs. David Reese, Miss 
Anna M. Golding and George Lowen. It is to be re- 
gretted that the record does not contain a full list of 
those present, as it is impossible now to supply the 
deficiency. 

The first meeting of the new parish for divine sery- 
ice was held in the same schoolhouse, on the even- 
ing of the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, February 
1, 1852, by the Rev. Joseph A. Stone, who then en- 
tered upon duty as minister of the parish. 


LAYING THE CORNER STONE. 
ApRIL 3, 1851. 


The corner stone of Grace Church was laid on the 
corner of Bertha and Sycamore Streets, with appro- 
priate services, by the Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, Bishop 
of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, on April 3, 1852, in 
the presence of a number of the clergy of the city and 





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A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 9 


a large assembly of the laity. There were present at 
this service, among others, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas 
J. Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. A. Kirk Lewis, Miss 
Sarah Orth, Mrs. Golding, Miss Anna Golding (later 
Mrs. W. L. Bond), Mrs. T. H. Golding, Mr. and Mrs. 
George Lowen, Mr. and Mrs. William Adams, Mr. and 
Mrs. Richard Stubbs, Mr. and Mrs. David Reese 
(father and mother of Mrs. Mary E. Torrence), Mr. 
and Mrs. Price, Mr. and Mrs.W. O. Leslie, Miss Emily 
Neely, Mr. Eaton and Mr. Felix R. Brunot. 

Bishop Potter was assisted in the service by the 
Rev. Joseph A. Stone, the rector, and the Rev. Wil- 
liam H. Paddock, missionary. The singing for the 
occasion was led by Miss Emily Neely. 


CHARTER OBTAINED. 
APRIL 26, 1852. 


The parish was chartered by the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and 
the charter of incorporation ordered to be recorded 
in the office for recording deeds in the said county 
on April 26, 1852. (See charter.) 


ADMITTED TO CONVENTION. 
May 20, 1852. 


The charter of the new parish was laid before the 
Annual Convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania 
which met in Philadelphia in May, 1852, and on the 
third day of the session, May 20, 1852, on motion 
of the Rev. Mr. Buchanan, of the Committee on Char- 
ters, the parish was duly admitted into union with 
the convention. 


OPENING THE NEW CHURCH. 
SEPTEMBER 18, 1853. 


The church building was completed, and opened 
for divine service on the afternoon of Sunday, Sep- 
tember 18, 1853, when, after evening prayer by 
the rector, Rev. John G. Furey, the Rev. E. N. Corn- 
wall, Rector of St. Andrew’s Church, Pittsburgh, 
preached the sermon, from Psalm lxxii, 16: ‘‘ There 
shall be an heap of corn in the earth high upon 
the hills; the fruit shall shake like Lebanon: and shall 
be green in the city like grass upon the earth.”’ 


10 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


In the evening of the same day divine service was 
again held, and after the reading of the service by 
the Rector, the Rev. Samuel Randall preached from 
Ephesians iv, 21: ‘“‘As the truth is in Jesus.” 

Large congregations attended these services, and 
it was a day of great rejoicing for the members of the 
new parish. 


COST OF CHURCH ANDIZOR 
As RECORDED IN THE PARISH REGISTER. 


Tot, 84: by 2O0 feeb oo 25 lik ieee aa oe $500. 00 
Church building (contract price)...... 2,000.00 
Pixtal work ebee ey Onl ye wu en Oa 356.00 

Stained-glass windows (Rhodes and 
Nelson) een Se Ure 103.00 
Fence for lot and painting same....... 95.00 
Bell, from \Bulton Poundry!. 222 .oet eer 40.00 
Stoves dnd axburesy Uh). Ua) eer 23.00 
Bly c) 2) DALAM aN ib) $3,117.00 

Paid by the following contributions: 

Proceeds of a pienic..).....0 1.02.05) 2a 
AL Kirk ews eure ie ea OnE Cathe 350.00 
Richard Cowan. Saw ug Wey ae 50.00 
Woathiama Holmesa oki eis Sey legs 50.00 
Fon) Charles Shaler. ey) uie a uae 25.00 
Mrs. Eliza Iooomais you a ao eee 25.00 

Sundry small contributions to pay for 
Pen) (CUE ca Le ae 60.00 
Andrew Fulton, cost of bell........... 40.00 
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham....... 2,224.00 
Dota hy Wee nn OAL eR Ne $3,117.00 

RECTORS. 
THEIR PERIODS OF SERVICE AND OTHER FAcTS OF 
INTEREST. 


1. Rev. JosepH A. STONE, entered upon duty and 
held the first service after the parish had been or- 
ganized, in the evening of the fourth Sunday after 
Epiphany, February 1, 1852. He officiated regu- 
larly every Sunday evening, and every other Sunday 
morning thereafter. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 11 


He reports that the parish had a successful and 
flourishing Sunday School, established several years 
prior to this time by an active and devoted lady of 
the parish, the sessions of which were held every 
Sunday afternoon. 

After a rectorship of one year and one month, he 
resigned, on the third Sunday in Lent, February 1, 
1853. 

2. Rev. Joun G. Furey, the second rector of the 
parish, entered upon duty June 1, 1853, and after a 
rectorship of nine months resigned March 1, 1854. 

No report of his work seems to have been made to 
the Convention in 1854. The important event dur- 
ing his short connection with the parish was the 
opening of the new church for divine service on the 
afternoon of Sunday, September 18, 1853. Up to 
this time services had been held in the schoolhouse 
mentioned above, where there were no appliances 
for a proper rendering of the service. This change 
gave to the young parish a permanent center for 
church work, and assured the continued growth and 
influence of the parish in the community. 

3. Rev. RicHARD SMITH, the third rector of the 
parish, began duty the Sunday after Easter, April 
23, 1854. After serving the parish two years, he 
resigned April 24, 1856, in consequence of increasing 
age and general debility. He had, in connection 
with his work on Mount Washington, the work at 
St. Luke’s, Chartiers, between which two places he 
divided his time. In his report to the Convention 
in May, 1856, he says: ‘I have labored during the 
past year in my two parishes as often as circum- 
stances would allow. The congregations have stead- 
ily improved, especially the one on Mount Washing- 
ton, where there is a good Sunday School, well at- 
tended.”’ In the previous year he reported 12 
teachers and 85 scholars as belonging to the Sunday 
School. 

Owing to his age and the inaccessibility of the 
church from the city, Mr. Smith was often absent 
in the winter time, but the church was not closed, 
as Mr. T. J. Bigham on such occasions read the 
service, and thus prevented the disappointment of 
the small gathering of worshipers. 


AD, A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


VACANCY IN THE RECTORSHIP. 


After the resignation of the Rev. Richard Smith, 
there was a period of seven months in which there 
was no rector. Lay services were held by Mr. T. J. 
Bigham, the senior warden, with an occasional serv- 
ice by the Rev. J. S. B. Hodges, the assistant min- 
ister at Trinity Church, and others. 

4. THE Rev. CHARLES W. Quick, the fourth 
rector of the parish, began to officiate in December, 
1856. He had other work in the city, and generally 
officiated at Grace Church in the evening. After a 
rectorship of two and a half years, he resigned in the 
month of April, 1859. 

In his last report, made in May, 1858, he gives the 
number of families as 10 and the communicants 8. 
He says: ‘‘The senior warden has steadily per- 
formed the duties of lay reader. To visit the parish 
once on Sunday in order to preach has been all that 
my other engagements have left me at liberty to do. 
The salary is small and very much in arrears.” 

The Sunday School remained the same as reported 
by the preceding rector. 

Mr. Quick was scholarly and conscientious, but a 
man of marked peculiarities, some of which Mr. 
Bigham refers to in his history of the parish. 


VACANCY IN THE RECTORSHIP. 


A vacancy in the rectorship now began which 
continued fourteen months, during which time the 
Sunday School was kept open, and occasional serv- 
ices were held by visiting clergymen. Rev. E. M. 
Van Dusen, of St. Peter’s Church, and Rev. Jubal 
Hodges, of St. Mark’s, Birmingham, held services 
and baptized some children. 

5. The Rev. Jusat Hopcegs, the fifth rector, began 
to officiate on Sunday, June 24, 1860. He was at 
the same time rector of St. Mark’s, Birmingham, 
and held services in Grace Church only on Sunday 
afternoons. He continued to officiate about a year 
and resigned, as it seems, in the summer of 1861. 
The entries in the parish register give little informa- 
tion, and there is no report in the Convention Journal 
for 1861; consequently there are no data concern- 
ing his rectorship. 


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THE REy. Gustavus WILHELM MAYER. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 13 


6. The Rev. Gustavus WILHELM MAYER, the sixth 
rector, began duty in the parish December 1, 1861, 
the first Sunday in Advent, in connection with the 
parish of St. Luke’s, Chartiers. He was at that time 
a deacon, but January 19, 1862, he was ordained to 
the priesthood, and on the following Sunday admin- 
istered the Holy Communion for the first time in 
Grace Church. 

After officiating at Grace Church about eighteen 
months, with an interruption of six or eight weeks, 
caused by a serious illness, during which time services 
were rendered by the Rev. Charles V. Gardiner, who 
was then staying in Pittsburgh, he resigned in March, 
1863, and confined his services to St. Luke’s, Char- 
tiers. During his incumbency he kept a horse, and 
was able, therefore, to reach both of his churches 
on Sunday, officiating at one in the morning and at 
the other in the evening. 

He was a German by birth, and occasionally held 
a service in the German language in Grace Church, 
for the benefit of the German-speaking people of 
the parish, and some of the families thus brought to 
the church still remain members of the congregation. 

There seems to have been little change in the con- 
dition of affairs during Mr. Mayer’s rectorship. The 
Sunday School was kept up by the senior warden, 
and the contributions were about as in former years, 
though the particulars are not recorded. In May, 
1862, he reports, ‘‘Number of communicants, 10.” 


A SKketcuH or His LiFe. 


Gustavus Wilhelm Mayer, the son of L. G. Mayer 
and Marie Louise von Liebenstien, was born Sunday, 
April 26, 1835, in Stissen, Wurtemberg, Germany, 
and was the elder of two children. His parents 
were members of the Established Church of Wur- 
temberg (Lutheran), and he was baptized in the 
parish church on the eighth day after his birth. He 
received his early instruction in the parish school, 
and then in the Latin Grammar School at Weib- 
lingen, where he studied Latin and Greek and made 
such progress that at thirteen he could read his 
Greek New Testament with ease and fluency. In 
1848 his parents emigrated to America, and in 1853 


14 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


he entered Princeton College, from which institution 
he was graduated in 1857. After some months of 
study in the Princeton Theological Seminary he de- 
cided to enter the ministry of the Episcopal Church, 
and consequently went to the Theological Seminary 
at Alexandria, Virginia, becoming a cadidate for 
Holy Orders from that diocese. He graduated from 
that institution in 1859, and on October 2 of that 
year was ordained deacon in the chapel of the semi- 
nary by the Rt. Rev. John Johns, D. D., Assistant 
Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia at that time. 

He did temporary work in the dioceses of Virginia 
and Maryland for about two years and then, on 
December 1, 1861, he was put in charge of St. Luke’s, 
Chartiers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and 
Grace Church, Mount Washington, by the Bishop of 
Pennsylvania. He was ordained to the priesthood 
Sunday, January 19, 1862, in St. Paul’s Church, 
Philadelphia, by Bishop Alonzo Potter, and return- 
ing at once to Pittsburgh he celebrated the Holy 
Communion, for the first time in his ministry, in 
Grace Church on the following Sunday morning. 

In 1863 he gave up his work in Pennsylvania, and 
after about two years spent in Spring Hill Parish, 
Somerset County, Maryland, and in missionary work 
in Elmira, New York, he accepted the rectorship of 
St. Mark’s Parish; Penn’ Yan, N.Y inser 
Here, in the fall of 1870, he married Mary L. Potter, 
youngest daughter of Samuel J. Potter, of that place. 
The next eleven years he spent in missionary work 
in the West—one year in Cheyenne and ten years in 
San Francisco, Cal. He returned East in 1881 
and was appointed on the staff of the City 
Mission clergy of New York, which position he held 
for ten years, being also during this time chaplain 
of ‘“‘Charity Hospital, Blackwell’s Island, N. Y.” 
After one year of work at the Mission Church of the 
Holy Cross, New York, he began labor in his present 
position, January 1, 1893, as priest in charge of St. 
Matthew’s (German) Mission Church in Newark, N. J. 
This work is specially interesting to him, owing to 
the fact that it was in this church that the impres- 
sions made upon him in his boyhood ultimately led 
to his entering the ministry of the Episcopal Church. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 15 


Mr. Mayer is a very scholarly man, of high mental 
endowments and keen literary perceptions; a fine 
sermonizer and a ready, fluent speaker. 


VACANCY IN THE RECTORSHIP, 


From APRIL, 1863, TO JUNE 26, 1866. 


After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Mayer there 
was no rector for a little over three years. During 
this time services were maintained with more or less 
regularity by Dr. L. H. Harris, acting as lay reader, 
under the appointment of Bishop Stevens. Occa- 
sional clerical services, with the administration of 
baptism and Holy Communion, were given by the 
Rev. Dr. Van Dusen and the Rev. Messrs. Ten 
Broeck, Tschudy, Snively, Swope and Fuller, of 
the city clergy. The Sunday School was kept open 
chiefly through the efforts of the lay reader and 
Mr. and Mrs. Bigham, with an average attendance 
of about 100 pupils. 

Such frequent and long-continued interruptions 
in the regular services of a parish are serious hin- 
drances to its life and growth, and sometimes lead to 
disastrous results. It was only the devoted faith- 
fulness of a few earnest souls that prevented the com- 
plete disorganization of the parish at this time. 

During the greater part of this period our civil 
War was in progress, and all church as well as all 
benevolent enterprises, not directly connected with 
the war, suffered greatly by the diversion of sym- 
pathy and interest to the claims of that great strug- 
gle. The war, which threatened our national ex- 
istence, so engrossed the thoughts and absorbed the 
energies of our people that they could give but little 
attention to anything else. At length, however, 
peace came in 1865, and again men’s thoughts and 
activities were directed in the old channels, interest 
in church matters soon revived, and a year later 
the vestry secured a rector and regular ministra- 
tions were resumed in Grace Church. 


16 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


REV. BRYAN BERNARD KILLIKELLY, D. D. 


7. THE Rev. Bryan BERNARD KILLIKELLY, D. D., 
the seventh rector of the parish, entered upon his 
duties on Trinity Sunday, May 26, 1866. He con- 
tinued to officiate during a period of one year, and 
then resigned, after evening prayer, on Sunday, 
June 2, 1867. 

In the summer of 1865 extensive improvements 
in the church building were undertaken. These 
improvements were not completed when Dr. Killi- 
kelly became rector, and were afterward continued 
under his supervision. To supply an urgent need, the 
floor of the church was raised four feet and the ground 
below excavated sufficiently to give space for a base- 
ment Sunday School and lecture room. This room 
was neatly finished on the walls and ceiling with 
dressed flooring, and the old pews of the church were 
used to furnish it with seats, and in it for the time . 
being the services were held. 

At this stage of the improvements the funds gave 
out, leaving the body of the church unfurnished and 
unfinished. Moreover, it was found that the debts 
already contracted over and above the sum of the 
subscriptions amounted to $600. The vestry was 
unable at that time to raise the money needed to 
complete the improvements and to meet their other 
obligatios, so, under these circumstances, Dr. Killi- 
kelly decided to resign. He reported to the Con- 
vention of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in May, 1867: 
Communicants, 26; Sunday School—teachers, 13; 
pupils, 110; and he ends his record in the Register 
with this note: ‘I have the satisfaction of knowing 
that more has been done for the parish and greater 
interest elicited in its work during the year now 
closed than was ever done before; and I here desire 
to record my deep gratitude to Almighty God for 
His great goodness in giving me favor in the sight of 
those to whom I was called to minister, and for 
whose eternal welfare I shall not cease to pray.”’ 

Dr. Killikelly’s work in the parish during the 
year that he. was rector was carried on at great dis- 
advantage. He resided at Kittanning, forty-five miles 
away, and when he had reached the city there was, 
in those days, no way of getting to Mount Washing- 
ton except by a fatiguing walk up a long and steep 











Tue Rev. B. B. KILiiKeELty, D. D. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 17 


hill. He was at the time sixty-three years old, and 
by no means robust; the journeys up and down, 
therefore, often so exhausted him that he would 
be forced to seek some place of rest before he could 
proceed on his way; and, unfortunately, the salary 
was not sufficient to justify him in moving his family 
to live in the parish. He nevertheless worked on 
without complaining, because it was the Lord’s work, 
in whose sacred service he delighted to spend his 
whole strength. 

Dr. Killikelly was born on the Island of Barba- 
does January 18, 1804, where his father, formerly 
an officer in the British navy, held an official position. 
In 1826 he came to the United States and engaged 
in mercantile pursuits in the city of New York. He 
subsequently studied theology and was admitted to 
deacon’s orders by the Rt. Rev. H. U. Onderdonk, 
in St. John’s Church, Pittsburgh (then Lawrence- 
ville), July 19, 1834, and was advanced to the priest- 
hood in Trinty Church, Freeport, Pa., by the same 
Bishop, on April 25, 1836. 

His whole ministerial life of forty-three years was 
spent in Pennsylvania, except a period of nine years 
passed under Bishop Kemper, at Vincennes, Ind., 
where he built a church and established a flourish- 
ing school for young ladies. He officiated at 
various timesin Kittanning, Freeport, Paradise (Lan- 
caster County), at Brady’s Bend, and New Castle. 
After the close of his rectorship in Grace Church, 
Mount Washington, he spent four years of hard and 
faithful missionary work at McKeesport, where he 
planted the church that has since become a _ strong 
parish. He died peacefully April 11, 1877. 

As a man Dr. Killikelly was irreproachable. He 
was courteous, gentle, sympathetic. Asa priest, he 
lived above the world; self-denying, ever ready 
to spend and be spent in his Master’s service. 

Dr. Killikelly in his notes in the register of the 
parish, refers to the ‘‘seven clergymen”’ who had had 
charge of the parish before him. In these seven 
he includes the Rev. William H. Paddock, under 
whose chairmanship, as District Missionary of West- 
ern Pennsylvania, the parish was organized; but Mr. 
Paddock, while he officiated a few times in the school- 
house for the congregation, never really had charge 


18 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


of the parish. Dr. Killikelly was, therefore, the 
seventh rector. 
Cost oF THE BASEMENT IMPROVEMENT. 


The cost of the basement (Sunday School and 
lecture room) amounted to $2,700.00. 
Subscriptions to pay same: 


Mis. BE. M, Ebbs.... 0.00 ge - $500.00 
Mr. Jobn S. MeMillin.. .............. 2) OO 
Thomas J. Bigham andsons.......... 250.00 
Thomas M. Howe, .°..).:5 «ss: eeaeee 300.00 
George W. Cass... sacs Sa ee 50.00 
Sundry other sources... 2... 2s. e ae ae 500.00 

Totaki( a ue eee hea $2,100.00 


This left a debt of $600 at the time of Dr. Killi- 
kelly’s resignation, as mentioned above. 


REV. ROBERT JOHN COSTER, D. D. 


8. THE Rev. RoBert Joun Coster, D. D., the 
eighth rector of Crace Church, began duty April 5,1868. 

After the resignation of Dr. Killikelly, on June 2, 
1867, there was a vacancy in the rectorship until 
April 5, 1868, when the Rev. R. J. Coster held his 
first service as ‘‘missionary in charge,’ under the 
appointment of the Rt. Rev. John B. Kerfoot, Bishop 
of Pittsburgh.* The congregation met for service 
in the basement schoolroom, the body of the church 
being unfurnished and otherwise unfinished. Serv- 
ice was now held regularly every Sunday morning, 
and a session of the Sunday School every afternoon. 
The number that gathered for public worship was 
small, being for some time not more than twenty 
persons. During the first year only about fourteen 
communicants were found, as will be seen by the 
parochical report of 1869, and the Sunday School had 
fallen off to sixty-eight members. The small con- 
gregation was, too, burdened and discouraged by 
a debt of $600, for the settlement of which the credi- 
tors were pressing. Rector and people felt that it 
was an absolute necessity to get rid of this debt 
before there could be any forward movement in the 
*Elected rector Easter, 1869. 





THE Rey. RoBeERT JouN Coster, D. D 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 19 


work of the parish. Measures were therefore at 
once adopted to raise money to pay the overdue 
claims standing against the parish. Subscriptions 
were solicited, and a fair was held in September, 
1868, by which means sufficient funds were secured 
to pay the indebtedness, that now amounted to $646. 
The removal of this debt encouraged the congrega- 
gation and rector to undertake the heavier task of 
completing and furnishing the church. 

The vestry at this time was composed of the fol- 
lowing members: Edward Bratt, Senior Warden; 
John C. Shaler, Jr., Junior Warden; Samuel Harper, 
Secretary and Treasurer; Thomas J. Bigham, William 
L. Bond, John S. McMillin, William Halpin. 

The congregation, vestry and rector were a unit 
in the wish to complete the work of improvement 
begun about four years before, in 1865, and though 
they were weak both in numbers and in finances, yet, 
being now free from debt, they determined to pro- 
ceed. Mrs. Bigham and the retor’s wife undertook, 
with the approval of the vestry, to raise the money 
for painting the interior of the church and frescoing 
the walls. After some difficulty they succeeded in 
obtaining the following amounts: 


foRnajE Shoenberger ei es baie $50.00 
Mie NEA bers oe i NG ae Mai Ot oO Deh. GO 
Concerts—tickets sold, 12.............. 6.00 
Collected: by Mrs. Bisham oj. foe: 30.00 
SUMO POMMSLOM es hk oa) Nia ae 5.00 
CRON COliOr ey Met ase BUT een 4.00 
William! Metealf and sister...) 20/5... 0): 12.00 
Ireupenuviibere iW acs on ear | oi Nien A) 20.00 
JENN SSS8 012 | KS ca eS dae Vea ane 10.00 
Nea nomas Prltoms. (oto. Wee ete) 20.00 
i Averillliahca§\f 0.0) Raa eae aaa a ana) es Mi 5.00 
Ieee Et catatlenyes c/2 ih, 2 aN) BOR RE eee Whi 10.00 
GeersenVonmeme nny ae. ald tales 5.00 
iss Augusta states! 0 Ook ee 5.00 
MOSe romeo. ea SL OM Ta 5.00 
Collected by Mr: Bighame yc yo. 29.00 
NEES RP ICOSE GR Seles ded Ny tre a S220 
ROW RO RP COSEET ION ae edu ral Oey 68.00 


nS eH AMIE a CIE Ce A LE ROA $336.25 


20 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


This amount they expended as follows: 
John Stulen, frescoing and painting 


Chir ee TN Oe $275.00 

Joseph Wood, erecting scaffolds for 
PAINGETS. ie ee 13.00 
Plating chalice and flagon, etc.......... 13.50 
Altar clothe ya eae capes al 25.795 
ATGAT, CHOSS) ie) salu iallele Ghat ie 9.00 
Tota Oa $336.25 


It may here be mentioned, that the use of the 
altar cross procured by the rector was objected to 
by some members of the vestry, and it was removed 
and presented to another parish in the diocese. 

The vestry went vigorously to work to raise the 
rest of the money required to put in pews, chancel 
furniture and carpets, and by subscriptions among 
themselves and by contributions from their friends 
secured the necessary amount, about $1,000. (It is 
a matter of regret that the treasurer’s book contain- 
ing the subscriptions cannot be found.) And now 
the work of finishing the church was pushed on 
steadily, the services being held meanwhile, as they 
had been for several years, in the basement school- 
room. 

About the middle of July, 1869, the refitting was 
completed, andon Sunday, July 19, the church was 
again opened for divine service, the first time since 
early inthe summer of 1865. The day was very auspi- 
cious—clear and pleasant; the congregation was large 
and hopeful. The Bishop was present (Kerfoot) toshare 
in the pleasure of the congregation and rector,preached 
the sermon and confirmed a class of eight persons, 
the first class under the present rector, composed of 
the following persons: Edward Bratt, Sr., Nellie 
Ruth Bratt, Mary Lowen Goldthorp, Mary Rebecca 
Torrence, Kate Goldthorp, Sarah Ann Torrence, 
Elizabeth Goldthorp and Amelia Shafer. The record of 
this class is a matter of great pleasure to the rector. 
Three, faithful to the end, have gone to their rest— 
Edward Bratt, Sr., Mary L. Goldthorp and Sarah 
A. Torrence (Mrs. Burrell); two, after long and 
faithful service in the choir and the Sunday School, 
have moved to the East End of our city—the sisters 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 21 


Kate (now Mrs. Dermitt) and Elizabeth Goldthorp; 
one has withdrawn, and the other two, Nellie R. 
Bratt (now Mrs. Shaler) and Mary R. Torrence, are 
still among the parish workers. 

The next wish of the rector and congregation was 
to see the now completed church duly consecrated to 
the worship of Almighty God, that all might feel 
that it was a sacred edifice, forever separated from 
all unhallowed tises. But as the amount raised by 
subscriptions had not been sufficient to meet the 
whole cost of the improvements, a fair was held in 
the latter part of September, and other collections 
were made, and the amount thus secured enabled 
the vestry to pay the full cost of the improvements. 
At the same time Mr. Thomas J. Bigham assigned 
to the vestry a claim of several hundred dollars which 
he held against the church, thus leaving the property 
entirely free from debt. The rector and vestry were 
now in a position to carry out their wish. They there- 
fore certified to the Bishop of the Diocese the Rt. 
Rev. John B. Kerfoot, D. D., that their property was 
unencumbered, and asked him to consecrate the 
church. In response to their request the Bishop ap- 
pointed Sunday, December 26, 1869, as the time 
for the consecration. The day was again propitious, 
being clear and pleasant, and a large congregation 
gathered to witness the interesting ceremony. The 
senior warden, Mr. Edward Bratt, met the Bishop at 
the door and presented to him the keys of the church, 
which the Bishop received and afterward placed up- 
on the altar. The deed of donation and request to 
consecrate, which had been duly signed by the rector, 
wardens and vestrymen at a meeting of the vestry held 
on Saturday, December 18, 1869, was presented and 
read by the junior warden, John C. Shaler, Jr. This 
was also received by the Bishop and laid upon the 
altar. The document is in the handwriting of the 
Rev. Abel A. Kerfoot, the Bishop’s son, and reads as 
follows: 

DEED OF DONATION. 

PRESENTED AT THE CONSECRATION OF GRACE CHURCH, 
PITTSBURGH, SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, 
DECEMBER 26, 1869. 

We, the rector, churchwardens and vestrymen of 
Grace Church, Mount Washington, (Allegheny Coun- 


ye A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


ty), in the State of Pennsylvania, and Diocese of 
Pittsburgh, being, by the good Providence of Al- 
mighty God, in possession of a house of worship, 
erected on the southeast corner of Bertha and Syca- 
more Streets, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, do - 
hereby appropriate and devote the same to the wor- 
ship and service of Almighty God, the Father, the 
Son and the Holy Ghost, according to the provisions 
of that branch of the Catholic Church of Christ known 
as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United 
States of America, in its ministry, doctrine, liturgy, 
rites, and usages, and for occupation and use by a 
congregation in communion with the Convention 
thereof in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. 

And we do also hereby request the Rt. Rev. John 
Barrett Kerfoot, D. D.,L. L. D., the said Bishop of the 
Diocese, to take the said building under his spiritual 
jurisdiction as Bishop aforesaid, and that of his 
successors in office, and to consecrate the same by 
the name of Grace Church, Mount Washington, and 
thereby separate it from all unhallowed, worldly and 
common uses, and solemnly dedicate it to the pur- 
poses above mentioned. 

And we do moreover, covenant and agree, in behalf 
of this vestry and parish, that this house, being thus, 
at our request, duly consecrated by the Bishop of 
the Diocese, shall be held and used in a true conform- 
ity with the office of consecration, and with the 
canons of the General Convention and of this Diocese. 

And we do furthermore solemnly declare, upon our 
honor as Christian men, that there is no lien, charge, 
responsibility or debt unpaid or subsisting with which 
the said church or building, or the corporation or 
congregation owning it or worshipping therein, is or 
can be, either legally or morally, chargeable. 

In testimony whereof, we, the said rector, church- 
wardens and vestrymen, have caused this instru- 
ment of donation to be prepared, and have thereun- 
to subscribed our several names and affixed our seals, 
this 18th day of December, one thouand eight hun- 
dred and sixty-nine. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 23 


RoBERT JOHN CosTER, Rector. [SEAL.] 
EDWARD BRATT, [SEAL.] 
Joun C. SHALER, Jr., = [SEAL.] 
Tuomas J. BicHam, [SEAL.] 
WiLiiam Bonn, [SEAL.] 
Joun S. McMittrn, Vestrymen.[sEAL.] 
SAMUEL HarPER, [SEAL.] 
WitiiaAM HAtpin, J [SEAL.] 


The Bishop then, in accordance with the request 
and in conformity with the usages of the American 
church, proceeded with the service of consecration. 
At the direction of the Bishop, the rector, the Rev. 
Robt. John Coster, read the sentence of consecration, 
which had been prepared and signed by the Bishop. 
It was as follows: 


SENTENCE OF CONSECRATION, 
OF 
Grace CHurcH, Mount WasHINGTON, ALLEGHENY 


County, PENNSYLVANIA, DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH. 


In the name of the holy, blessed and undivided 
Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 
Amen. 

Whereas, the rector, churchwardens and vestry- 
men of Grace Church, Mount Washington, have by 
an instrument this day presented to us, appropriated 
and devoted this house to the worship and service 
of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy 
Ghost, according to the provision of the Holy Catho- 
lic Church, and of the Protestant Episcopal Church 
in the United States of America, in its ministry, doc- 
trine, liturgy, rites and usages; and for occupancy 
and use by a congregation in communion thereof in 
the Diocese of Pittsburgh: And whereas, the same 
rector, churchwardens and vestrymen have, by the 
same instrument, requested us to consecrate their 
said house of worship by the name of Grace Church, 
Mount Washington, and thereby separate it from 
all unhallowed, worldly and common uses, and sol- 
emnly dedicate it to the holy purposes above men- 
tioned: Now, therefore, know all men by these 
presents, that we, John Barrett Kerfoot, by Divine 
permission, Bishop of Pittsburgh, and acting under 
the protection of Almighty God, and in His faith and 


24 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


fear have on this 26th day of December, being the 
first Sunday after Christmas and the Feast of St. 
Stephen, the Martyr, in the year of our Lord 1869, 
taken the above-mentioned house of worship under 
our spiritual jurisdiction as Bishop aforesaid, and 
that of our successors in office; and in presence of 
divers of the clergy and of a congregation therein as- 
sembled, and according to the godly usage of the 
Catholic Church of Christ, and the form prescribed 
by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United 
States of America, have consecrated the same by 
the name of Grace Church, Mount Washington; and 
we do hereby pronounce and declare that the said 
Grace Church, Mount Washington, is consecrated 
accordingly, and thereby separated henceforth from 
all unhallowed, worldly and common uses, and dedi- 
cated to the worship and service of Almighty God, 
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, for reading 
and preaching His Holy Word; for celebrating His 
Holy Sacraments; for offering to His Glorious Majes- 
ty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; for bless- 
ing His people in His name, and for the performance 
of all other holy offices, and the administration of 
all holy ordinances, agreeable to His will, made known 
in the terms of the Covenant of Grace and Salvation 
in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, according to 
the usages of His Holy Catholic and Apostolic 
Church, and the provisions of the Protestant Episco- 
pal Church in the United States of America, in its 
ministry, doctrines, liturgy, rites and usages. 

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto affixed 
our signature and Episcopal seal, on this 26th day 
of December, in the year of our Lord 1869, and in 
the fourth year of our consecration. 

bes: JoHN Barrett KEeERFOOT, 

Bishop of Puttsburgh. 


At the conclusion of the service the Bishop con- 
gratulated the rector and the congregation on the 
improvement in their church and commended the 
spirit of reverence and loyalty to churchly usage which 
prompted them to have their house of worship duly 
consecrated. 

Services were now held regularly in the church every 
Sunday morning and Sunday School in the afternoon. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 25 


During the following year (1870), nothing noteworthy 
occurred. The life of the parish flowed on evenly. 
The expenses were maintained at considerable cost 
to the small congregation. The Easter service was 
a very beautiful one, good music being furnished by 
a volunteer choir composed of the following persons: 
Mrs. Brunt, Misses Nellie Shaler, Mary Goldthorp, 
Annie Hughes and Messrs. George Prosser and Wil- 
liam Ritchie. 

The Sunday School continued to give instruction 
to a large number of children of parents not belonging 
to Grace Church. The efficiency of the school was 
kept up during the years of 1870 and 1871 largely 
by the earnest work of Mr. John C. Shaler and Mr. 
George Lovelock. In January, 1872, we lost the 
assistance of Mr. Shaler, whose business interests 
took him first to Cincinnati, and then to St. Louis; 
and we had many anxious thoughts as to who should 
fill his place. 

An interesting part of a rector’s work is the prepar- 
ation of his classes for confirmation. The frequent 
meetings for instruction give him opportunity of 
becoming intimately acquainted with his young people 
and offer chances for personal direction and counsel, 
such as no other period affords. The present rector 
looks back with great pleasure to these periods of 
intimate intercourse, many of which have been the 
brightest spots in the ministerial work of his life. He 
remembers now with special interest his meetings 
with the class of 1873. This class was composed of 
grown people, all of them the personal friends of the 
rector, and their earnestness, attention and demeanor 
made the hours of instruction peculiarly interesting. 
Three of them, having finished their course in faith, 
have gone to their reward. Two others are doing 
faithful work in the church, fully meeting the rector’s 
expectations of their usefulness in the Master’s service, 
One of these, Mr. E. H. Dermitt, after long serving 
Grace Church as choir master and vestryman. has 
moved from the parish and is now actively aiding 
the church elsewhere; the other, Melville L. Stout, 
is still among the efficient workers of the parish, be- 
ing now a vestryman of the parish, and for most 
of the intervening years organist of the church. 


26 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


During the summer of 1875 the church was newly 
frescoed and painted, having become very dingy in 
six years, from the prevalence of dust and smoke 
in the atmosphere of Pittsburgh, the Smoky City. 
At the same time Mr. William Halpin put in a stained- 
glass chancel window, as a memorial to his father 
and mother, which added very much to the beauty 
and sacredness of our church. 

During the summer of 1876 the church lot was en- 
closed with a new iron fence, new boardwalks were 
laid around the church, and the Sunday School room 
was painted and frescoed, thus putting the whole 
premises in complete order. 

The early part of 1879 was marked by an un- 
usual circumstance, the death of three aged members 
of the congregation, within three months, namely 
Mrs. Mary Lowen, wife of George T. Lowen, aged 70 
years; Mrs. Sarah Reese, mother of Mrs. Mary E. Tor- 
rence, aged 87; and Mrs. Maria Adams, widow of the 
late William Adams, aged 78. Mrs. Lowen lived too far 
from the church and Mrs. Reese was too feeble from 
age to attend the services often, but Mrs. Adams, up 
to the last two years of her life, when disease 
obliged her to go to the Aged Women’s Home 
for treatment, was a regular worshiper at the serv- 
ices. She sat close up to the front, and the rector 
could not help noting her regular attendance. She, 
like the other two here mentioned, was of English 
birth, and inherited some of the English prejudice 
against everything that she thought savored of Ro- 
manism. On one occasion a new set of bookmarks 
was put in the Bible, having crosses on the ends, 
and as they hung immediately before the eyes of 
the good woman she could not help seeing them, 
and the sight so disturbed her simple mind that she 
staid away from service several Sundays. The rector 
noticing this, went to see her and, learning what 
troubled her, explained the meaning of the symbol 
and the harmlessness of its use, and so satisfied her 
mind that she at once began again her regular attend- 
ance and never afterward questioned anything that her 
rector did. In her will she left the sum of fifty dol- 
lars to Grace Church, and the rector and vestry set 
it apart as the beginning of an endowment for the 
parish, and called the fund, in her memory, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. a7 


“The Maria Adams Endowment Fund.” The death 
of these aged women took away three who had been 
connected with the parish from its beginning, and 
diminished the number of those familiar with its 
early history and interested in its early struggles. 

Whatever tends to beautify the church or to render 
its appointments more complete is worthy of mention. 
It is recorded here, therefore, that on Easter Sunday, 
March 28, 1880, Miss Emma Bennett, sister of Mrs. 
Sarah Boggs, presented to the church a handsome 
stone font as a thank offering. The one previously 
used was a plain wooden font, put in when the church 
was first opened, in 1853, and this was now presented 
to St. Paul’s Church, Georgetown. 

Easter Sunday, 1881, was a bright and beautiful 
day, and the rector, choir and people looked forward 
to an inspiring and joyous service, and they were not 
disappointed. The church was beautifully decked 
with flowers, the symbols of the resurrection, a full 
congregation was in attendance, and the choir had 
made special preparation for rendering in a manner 
suitable to the high festival, the musical part of the 
service. At that time the following were the mem- 
bers of the choir: Mrs. E. H. Dermitt, Mrs. James 
Boggs, Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp, Mrs. Joel Bigham, 
Mr. E. H. Dermitt, Mr. Edwin Smith and Mr. Samuel 
Williams; the organist was Mr. M. L. Stout. The 
chants, anthems and hymns were sung with beauti- 
ful effect, lifting up all present to a high plane of 
devotion. The rector’s Easter sermon was from the 
text, I Corinthians xv, 20: ‘‘Now is Christ risen 
from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them 
that slept.’’ The aim of the preacher was to set 
forth the two main results that come to Christians 
from the resurrection of Christ; namely, a new spirit- 
ual life, by which they now overcome sin, and a res- 
urrection hereafter unto life eternal. About thirty- 
five communed, and the service ended with all feel- 
ing that it was indeed a blessing to share in such 
worship in the house of the Lord. 

Another event of special importance occurring in 
the year 1881 was the completing and setting up in 
the church of the new pipe organ. As early as March 
22, 1874, the matter of purchasing an organ was 


28 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


talked over in the vestry, but it was not until seven 
years later that the matter was accomplished. The 
story of its purchase has been told in another place, 
and hence it is only necessary to say here that it was 
built by Barckhoff and set up in the church in Oc- 
tober, and was used the first time at morning service 
Sunday, November 6, 1881. The possession of the 
organ was the cause of great rejoicing on the part of 
all those interested in the music of the church, as 
its tones added a dignity and richness to the musical 
part of the service unattainable with the small reed 
organ hitherto in use. Its possession was also a 
matter of special interest for the reason that it repre- 
sented the self-denial and patient labor of the few 
who, discouraged neither by opposition nor delay, 
worked on until this gift to the Lord’s house was 
secured. One fully acquainted with the numerical 
and financial strength of the parish at that time will 
appreciate what this statement means. 

As a slight indication of what was being done at 
this time for the promotion of the spiritual welfare 
of the parish, a copy of a Lenten Pastoral, issued by 
the rector in 1882, will be here given. In it will be 
found notice of the services and a few words of in- 
struction and advice in regard to the duties of the 
season. 

The first page was as follows: 


1882 


> 
GRACE CHURCH, 
MOUNT WASHINGTON, SOUTH SIDE. 
Lenten Season. 
SERVICES 
Every Wednesday—Evening Prayer and Lecture, 
7:30 o’clock. Every Friday—Evening Prayer, 4 
o'clock. 
BISHOP’S VISITATION 
Third Wednesday in Lent, March 8, 7:30 P. M. 
HOLY COMMUNION 
First Sunday in Lent, February 26th, 10:30 A. M. 
Third Sunday in Lent, March 12th, 10:30 A. M. 
Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 26th, 10:30 A. M. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 29 


EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 9th 


Morning Prayer, with Sermon and Holy Communion, 
10:30 A. M. 


Sunday School Service, 3:00 P. M. 


“In everything by prayer and supplication with 
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto 
God. And the peace of God, which passeth all under- 
standing, shall keep your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus.” —Philippians iv, 6, 7. 

LENT, 1882. 

BELOVED BRETHREN: Again, in the providence 
of God, the season of Lent, by the Church’s appoint- 
ment, calls us to self-examination and prayer. As 
your pastor, therefore, I bid you heed the Church’s 
voice, and use the precious opportunity again vouch- 
safed to you. 

Special services have been appointed that all may 
have the privilege of enjoying the means of grace 
more frequently during these days of humiliation and 
prayer. 

I bid you come to these services regularly. Come 
to them also devoutly, praying and expecting to 
meet there Jesus, the Friend of sinners, who has said 
that ‘‘where two or three are gathered together in 
my name, there am I in the midst of them.” And 
that you may realize that He is present in the services 
of His Church, prepare your hearts to meet Him, 
by meditating upon His love for sinners, by reading 
His Word as appointed by the Church, and by earnest 
and continued prayer for His blessing upon yourself 
and upon His whole Church during this holy season. 
Lent may be, and will be, a great blessing to all who, 
in a humble mind and devout heart, use it diligently. 

Let me make the following suggestions as helpful 
in the due observance of the season: 


THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 


(a) Light amusements, such as parties, operas and 
novel reading, as inconsistent with the sober and self- 
examining temper and spirit of Lent. 

(b) Idleness and frivolity, as tending to weaken our 
moral sense and to divert our thoughts from the 
necessity of repenting of our sins. 


30 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


(c) Ill temper, unkind speech and hardness of 
heart, as unbecoming those who are trying to follow 
the footsteps of the meek and lowly Jesus, and to be- 
come like Him. 


THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED. 


(a) Sin is a solemn fact in human nature. It is 
marring our lives and robbing us of peace. Lent is 
the time for examining ourselves in the light of God’s 
Word, and for striving to get the mastery over our 
known sins. The struggle is one of life and death. 
If sin conquer us, and lead us captive at will, death 
is the result. If we conquer sin in the power of 
Christ, we have everlasting life. 


(6) Our blessed Lord is the friend of sinners. He 
loves them. He gave His life for them. He is, 
therefore, your Friend, and will give you His life if 
you receive Him in faith and love. Let Him, then, 
dwell with you during the days of Lent, and thereby 
bless you with His presence. 


(c) None, however sinful, need dispair of receiving 
salvation. ‘‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be as white as snow,” saith the Lord. God, for 
Christ’s sake, waits to be gracious. Now is the day 
of salvation. ‘‘Ask and ye shall receive,” is our 
Lord’s assuring promise. 


THINGS TO BE DONE. 


Fasting.—This is one form of self-denial that en- 
ables us to get the mastery over our appetites. . 
Therefore, deny yourself luxuries and delicacies, and 
even abstain from food at stated times, and thus 
bring the body into subjection to the spirit. This 
will be a good preparation for the higher duties of 
Lent. 


Prayer.—(a) Be more regular and devout in your 
private prayers. These are between God and your 
soul. He alone sees the heart and knows all its de- 
sires. Ask earnestly, therefore, for a right spirit in 
His sight. (6) Attend regularly the Lenten services. 
Let not your seat be vacant, nor your voice be silent, 
when the Lord’s people meet to honor His name and 
to ask His blessing. And when present be not list- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 31 


less and inattentive. Join with heart and voice in 
all the acts of worship, and thus make the service a 
blessing to yourself and to others. 


Almsgiving.—Our worship will be incomplete un- 
less to our self-denial and prayer we add our offerings. 
We are Christ’s representatives on earth. We must, 
therefore, in His name support the works of the 
Church carried on for His glory and the salvation of 
men. Freely have we received of Him, freely let 
us give, and so win for ourselves the honor of being 
His co-workers. Our hearts, our wills, our means are 
the things to be offered. These our Lord will accept 
and use to His glory and our eternal interest. 


Your friend and pastor, 
ROBERT JOHN COSTER. 


The Lenten services this year on Wednesday 
evenings and Friday afternoons were well attended, 
and these, with the Bishop’s annual visitation on the 
third Sunday in Lent, and the bright Easter services, 
were a great comfort and encouragement to the rector 
and his small band of workers. 


The life of the parish, as the years went by, flowed 
on with the usual fluctuations and frictions incident 
to all affairs conducted by men subject to the preju- 
dices and infirmities of human nature. The 
rector, however, can safely say that while a change 
was going on in the personnel of the congregation by 
deaths, removals and additions, there was as much 
of unity and harmony in the parish and as much of 
confidence and respect manifested for the rector, or 
perhaps more, than is usual in most of our parishes. 
While some of those who first welcomed the rector to 
the parish had moved away, and others had departed 
to the better land, there were still many of the older 
members of the congregation left to hold up the rec- 
tor’s hands and to encourage him with their confi- 
dence and sympathy; and for this mark of divine 
favor he has ever felt deeply grateful. 

But time inevitably brings changes. As the years 
go by one after another of the well-known forms and 
faces disappear, and when one looks over the con- 
gregation he will see here and there the places of old 


32 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


friends vacant or filled by others. The years 1883, 
1884 and 1885 were marked by the removal from 
the parish by death of several of its long-tried and 
faithful members. 

In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Sarah Goldthorp was 
laid to rest—a woman whose life was a blessing to 
her family, to her neighborhood, to her church. She 
was the daughter of George T. Lowen and the wife 
of Samuel H. Goldthorp; a patient, dutiful wife; 
a tender and affectionate mother, whose life was 
given to her children; a kind and affectionate friend, 
who always had a word of cheer or sympathy 
for those who approached her; a deeply pious 
woman, whose religion was of the heart and whose 
life was a constant witness to the reality of her 
faith. A pure, gentle soul, above reproach, full of 
good works. Her memory lingers with us like that 
of a pleasant, happy dream. It is an honor to her 
church to have her name enrolled among its departed 
ones. 


In September of the same year another gentle, 
faithful soul was removed from the parish, Mrs. 
Ruth Reed. Though only thirty-three years old, 
she was ripe in Christian character. She was born an 
raised in Brownsville and was the wife of Samuel G. 
Reed. She was a true and faithful wife and mother, 
whom her husband and children most fondly venerate 
for her pure life and noble character. Bene dormiat. 


Early in 1884 another devout soul, Mrs. Jane 
Bratt, was laid to rest, in her 77th year. Her fa- 
miliar form had long been seen constantly at the 
church services. Rarely was she absent. She was 
a devout communicant, firmly attached to her 
church, and a faithful friend of her rector. She 
raised a large family of sons and daughters, devoted 
herself to her husband and children, and at a ripe old 
age, after much suffering, borne with exemplary 
patience, surrounded by her family, she departed 
full of hope and peace. 

In autumn of the same year another aged servant 
of our Divine Master, Hon. Thomas J. Bigham, aftera 
long and useful life, was laid to rest, full of faith and 
good works. He was one of the founders of the 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 33 


church and one of its most faithful supporters and 
most devout communicants. His connection with the 
parish from its beginning and his long services in its 
behalf have been recorded elsewhere in this work. 
Indeed, it might almost be said that the church is 
a memorial to himself and his wife, and that its 
history is a memoir of him and his family. 


In the next year, on November 1, 1885, All Saints’ 
Day, another aged and devout member of the parish, 
Edward Bratt, Sr., aged 80 years, was laid to rest 
beside his wife, in Allegheny Cemetery. He was 
familiarly known as Squire Bratt, from the fact 
that he was long a justice of the peace on Mount 
Washington. He was widely known and every- 
where respected for his integrity. He was for many 
years a regular worshiper and communicant of the 
parish, and also a vestryman and treasurer; serving 
the church faithfully in every capacity and contribut- 
ing freely to its support according to his means. He 
was essentially a man of peace, and all who knew 
him honor his name and thank the Merciful Father 
for the good example of his faithful and aged servant. 
A sketch of his life will be found elsewhere in this 
work. 


By the death of these members of the parish, 
whose lives had been so fully identified with its life 
and work, the rector felt that he had sustained a 
personal loss. He had known them intimately from 
the beginning of his connection with the parish in 
1868, and had always been a welcome guest at their 
homes. He knew, too, from their words and deeds 
that he was respected as their pastor and loved as 
their friend; so the parish’s loss was his loss, and it is 
therefore a great pleasure to him to pay this tribute of 
respect to the memory of these parishioners and 
friends. 

The formation of a boy choir for the church was an 
event that marks the history of the year 1886. 
From the organization of the parish in 1852 the. 
music had been furnished by a volunteer choir of 
men and women, and for the most part it had been 
tendered with great acceptability. During the pres- 
ent rectorship often, indeed, the music was of a high 


34. A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH.’ 


degree of excellence, and notably during the successive’ 
periods of time in which Mr. William Digby, Mr. 
George Prosser and Mr. E. H. Dermitt had been 
leaders of the choir. These leaders were assisted by 
some devoted workers, and to them and their help- 
ers justice will be done in another part of this work 
for their faithful services, long and freely given. 


There were times, however, when it was difficult 
to obtain singers among the people of the parish, and 
when it was almost impossible to maintain the choir 
in any fair degree of efficiency. By removals from 
the parish of persons skilled in musie and by the 
lack of interested singers in the congregation, this was 
the case inthe year 1886. Then it wasthat a devoted 
churchwoman of the parish, who since the first Sunday 
in January, 1876, had been one of the most useful 
members of the choir, undertook to select and train a 
number of boys to furnish the music for the services. 
She went vigorously to work in the matter during 
the fall of 1886, and after several month’s instruction 
she, with the consent of the rector and vestry, intro- 
duced the boys at the morning service on the Sunday 
after Christmas, December 26, and they then for 
the first time sang in the service. This was a great 
innovation in our conservative parish, and many were 
the fears and anxieties of its best workers in regard to 
the success of the venture. However, the enthusiasm 
and perseverance of Mrs. Goldthorp gave to the boy 
choir a fairly successful start, and it has been main- 
tained in the church ever since with varying but, on 
the whole, increasing efficiency and acceptableness. 
(See subsequent: addition. ) 


The boys at first wore only plain cassocks, and they 
continued to sing thus vested for about three months; 
then the ladies of the Mite Society, who had furnished 
the cassocks, supplied them with cottas made by: 
their own hands; and on the fifth Sunday in Lent, 
March 27, 1887, at morning service, when the Bishop. 
was making his annual visitation to the parish, the 
boys, twelve in number, appeared in full vestments 
for the first time. They marched in singing as the 
processional, 


“The Church’s one foundation 
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord.” 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 35 


and taking their places in the stalls sang very credit- 
ably, under the direction of Mrs. Goldthorp, with 
Mr. M. L. Stout at the organ. One can readily im- 
agine the interest that the first appearance of the 
choir in their vestments created in the congregation, 
and the curiosity that was awakened to see how mat- 
ters would proceed. The result, under the circum- 
stances, was on this occasion highly creditable to all 
concerned. 


One of the chief difficulties in the successful man- 
agement of the boy choir, when first introduced, was 
that of maintaining proper decorum and reverence 
during divine service. The choir was a volunteer 
one, and the boys who composed it had not previous- 
ly been under any strict discipline, such as would 
form habits of order and obedience. It was hard, 
therefore, to make them feel that their position and 
duty required quietness of manner and dignity of 
conduct while in the chancel, to make their services 
acceptable to the’ congregation. The rector and 
vestry were on several occasions much disturbed by 
the lack of order and self-control shown during serv- 
ice, and* had, consequently, serious doubts as to 
the wisdom of trying to retain the services of the 
boys. But firmness and patience on the part of the 
management in a short time greatly improved mat- 
ters, and thereby removed the objections to the boy’ 
choir, and now it has become one of the fixed insti- 
tutions of the parish. 


Here it must be noted, to the credit’ of all con- 
cerned in originating and maintaining the boy choir, 
that the services rendered are voluntary, and with- 
out compensation. This makes the choir service 
a freewill offering—a gift to our Divine Master; and 
while the rector and congregation highly appreciate 
the faithfulness and sacrifices of former as well as 
of present members of the choir, it will help us all to 
remember that no service of love will ever be for- 
gotten by the Great Head of the Church. At the 
last day He will say, ‘‘ You did it unto Me.” 

The ‘year 1887 was marked by great improve- 
ment in the interior appointments of the church. 
At Easter there were presented a beautifully carved 


36 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


eagle lectern in walnut, a prayer desk and stall, 
and a credence table, memorials of Edward and 
Jane Bratt, who for many years adorned the 
church and glorified their Divine Master by their 
simple, faithful lives. These appropriate memo- 
rials, made by Lamb & Co., of New York, were the 
loving gifts of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Bratt. 
They beautify the Lord’s house and keep fresh the 
memory of the departed; they may also be regarded 
as thank-offerings to God for His mercies to His de- 
parted servants. 


In the summer of this year the church was further 
beautified with rich stained-glass windows, which 
took the place of the plain diamond-shaped glass 
put in when the church was first built. This adorn- 
ment was accomplished chiefly by the aid of the 
Mite Society of the congregation, at a cost of 
about $700. Very material assistance in raising 
the necessary funds was also given by the children 
of the Goldthorp family. The work was done in a 
very creditable manner, by Marshall & Bros., of 
Allegheny, after designs suggested by the rector and 
a committee of ladies from the Mite Society. 

The first window from the chancel in the south 
wall is a memorial to Thomas J. Bigham. In the 
center of the window is an open Bible, across whose 
pages is written the text, ‘“‘Thy Word is a lamp unto 
my feet, and a light unto my paths.’’—Psalm cxix, 
105. The appropriateness of this symbol and of 
these words on the memorial to Mr. Bigham arises 
from the fact that he was a diligent student of the 
Bible, and a man well acquainted with its contents. 
Below is the inscription, ‘““In Memory of Thomas J. 
Bigham, Died November 9, 1884, Aged 74 Years.” 


Next to this window in the south wall is a memorial 
to two members of the Goldthorp family. In the 
middle of the window is an emblem of Faith, a female 
figure gazing upon the Cross, and below is the in- 
scription, ‘“‘In Memory of Sarah Lowen Goldthorp. 
Died March 19, 1883, Aged 53 Years.’”’ And under 
this, ‘‘Mary Goldthorp Steele. Died February 13, 
1886, Aged 33 Years.’”’ And below “The Just Shall 
Live by Faith.”’ 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 37 


Next to this is a memorial to the departed mem- 
bers of the Mite Society of the Church. In the mid- 
dle of the window is a cluster of lilies, below it the 
inscription, “In Memory of the Departed of the 
Mite Society.”’ “‘Be thou faithful unto death and 
I will give thee a crown of life.’—Revelation ii, 10. 

In the north wall, the first window from the chancel 
is a memorial to Edward Bratt. In the middle of 
the window is a full-ripe sheaf of wheat, and below 
it the text, ‘‘ He will gather the wheat into His garner”’ 
—Luke iii, 17; and the inscription, ‘‘ In Memory 
of Edward Bratt. Died October 30, 1885, Aged 80 
Years.”’ 


The next window is a memorial to Bishop Kerfoot. 
In the crown of the window are the crossed keys; in 
the middle, the mitre and staff, and below the in- 
scription, ‘““‘In Memory of John Barrett Kerfoot, 
First Bishop of Pittsburgh. Died July 10, 1881, 
Aged 64 Years.”’ ‘‘Know them which labor among 
you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish 
you; and esteem them very highly in love for their 
works’ sake.’’—I Thessalonians v, 12, 13. 


The putting in of these windows greatly beautified 
the church, and their presence serves constantly to 
remind the living of the departed faithful. It was 
a labor of love which deepened ‘‘the unity of spirit”’ 
and strengthened “‘the bond of peace,”’ in the parish, 
and awakened in many the perception of the great 
truth of the communion of saints, making them real- 
ize more fully than hitherto that 


“The living and the dead 
But one communion make; 
All join in Christ their head, 
And of His life partake.” 


The year 1888 was marked by two events which 
give it special prominence in the history of the par- 
ish. 

The first of these events was the presentation for 
confirmation at the Bishop’s visitation on Palm Sun- 
day, March 25, of a class of 33 persons—16 men and 17 
women. This was the largest class the rector had 
ever presented, and consequently the occasion was 
one of deep interest. The day was rainy, but the 


38 A.HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH. PARISH. 


congregation was large, the music was good, and 
.the Bishop preached a most effective sermon ap- 
propriate to Palm Sunday. After administering the 
Tite of confirmation the Bishop, with much feeling 
and earnestness, exhorted the class to faithfulness 
in the duties of the Christian life. This large class 
.showed that there was life in the parish, and greatly 
encouraged pastor and people, and gave hope for the 
future of our work. 

The other event that specially marked this year 
was the completion at Easter of the twentieth year 
of the rector’s service in the parish, an event that the 
‘congregation was not willing to let pass without a 
fitting commemoration. This commemoration be- 
gan on April 1, with the Easter Day service. The 
church was beautifully dressed with palms and 
flowers; the congregation indicated its interest by 
gathering in its full strength; the vested choir, under 
the direction of Mrs. Goldthorp, with Mr. Stout at 
the organ, made special preparation for beautifying 
‘the service with music appropriate to the day and 
the occasion. The rector preached from the text, 
““The same day at evening, being the first day of the 
week, when the doors were shut where the disciples 
were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and 
stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be 
unto you.’’—St. John xx, 19; and set forth the 
thought that the resurrection of Christ is the seal of 
Divine Truth affixed to all His promises, commands 
and revelations, and the pledge to us of a resurrection 
to life eternal. At the close of his sermon the rector 
said: 

“On a great festival like Easter it is necessary 
that words should be spoken suitable to the day and 
its lessons. Now, if you will bear with me a few 
moments longer, I desire to indulge in a brief retro- 
spect of the history of the parish for the last twenty 
years, which closes with this day’s services. Per- 
haps such a retrospect may encourage us in our 
work for Christ and His Church, and awaken in our 
hearts new zeal for our Master’s service, and new de- 
termination to do more in the future for the exten 
-sion of the Kingdom of our Risen Lord.” 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 39 


He then gave a short sketch of what had been done, 
of the obstacles that had been overcome, and of the 
progress that had been made. He spoke of the great 
assistance that he and the parish had received in all 
these years from the Mite Society of the congregation, 
and referred to the fact that it was a part of the his- 
tory of the past year that a Laymen’s Guild had been 
formed, which was now an equally important agency 
in the parish. He then urged all to work together 
in faith and love for the promotion of God’s glory in 
their midst, reminding them that the time is short, 
and that the night cometh, in which no man can 
work; that this was their day and opportunity for 
giving proof of their faith and love. Continuing, 
he said: 

“Whatever has been done in the past twenty 
years in our midst for the glory of God, to Him be all 
the praise, for we are at best only unprofitable serv- 
ants. And yet God waits to be gracious, and if we 
bow heart and will before Him, and beg Him to ac- 
cept and bless our feeble services, He will pour His 
blessings upon us, and fill us with all the fulness of 
His grace, and enable us at last to standin His 
presence and hear these blessed words, ‘Well done, 
-good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy 
of thy Lord.’” 


The church was again filled at 3 o’clock in the 
afternoon, at the service held for the Sunday School. 
After evening prayer the rector addressed the child- 
ren and then catechised them. The responses were 
good, showing that the children really learn the cate- 
chism in the Sunday School. The singing by the 
school, assisted by the choir, was very hearty, adding 
much to the beauty and spirit of the service. The 
school numbered 133 scholars and 14 teachers. Its 
efficiency was largely due to the faithful management 
of the Superintendent, Mr. John C. Shaler, Jr. 

On Thursday of the same week, April 5, the twen- 
tieth anniversary of the rector’s first service in the 
church, the real commemoration was held, in the 
schoolroom of the church, of which event the follow- 
ing account, prepared at the time, is here inserted: 


40 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


THE CELEBRATION OF THE TWENTIETH 


ANNIVERSARY 
OF THE 
Rev. RoBERT JOHN CosTER’s RECTORSHIP OF GRACE 


CHURCH, FROM APRIL 5, 1868, To AprRit 5, 1888. 


Grace CuurcuH, Pittsburgh, April 5, 1888. 


Twenty years ago this day the Rev. Robert John 
Coster held his first service in Grace Church as Mis- 
sionary in Charge, he having been appointed to that 
duty by the Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt.Rev. John 
Barrett Kerfoot, D. D. 


The parishioners of Grace Church, wishing to 
mark the twentieth anniversary of his ministrations, 
determined to tender to the rector and his wife a 
reception on this day. Preparations were according- 
ly made, invitations were issued, the schoolroom of 
the church was handsomely decorated with cur- 
tains, flowers, plants, pictures, etc., and brilliantly 
lighted for the occasion. As a further evidence of 
the thoughtfulness and kindness of the congregation, 
a carriage was sent for the rector and his wife, and 
at 8 P. M. all, pastor and people, assembled in the 
schoolroom of the church. About three hundred 
persons were present. 


The upper end of the room had been transformed 
into a sort of parlor—carpeted, furnished with chairs, 
piano, pictures, etc.—and here for an hour or more 
the rector and Mrs. Coster received the con- 
gratulations and kind wishes of their parishioners 
and friends. 


Mr. John C. Shaler, Jr., then stepped forward, and 
after a few words of kindly greeting, and the ex- 
pression of the pleasure that it gave him and the con- 
gregation to meet the rector here on this twentieth 
anniversary of hisconnection withthe parish, presented 
to him a beautiful Prayer Book and altar service, 
with the inscription, ‘1868-1888. To the Rev. 
Robert John Coster by the parishioners on His 
Twentieth Anniversary as Rector of Grace Church, 
Pittsburgh’’; also a large and elegantly bound family 
Bible, with the inscription ‘‘1868-1888. Presented 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 41 


to the Rev. Robert John Coster and his wife by the 
Parishioners of Grace Church, Pittsburgh’’; also a 
purse containing the sum of $521, and asked that 
these be received as mementos of the occasion, and 
tokens of the love and good wishes of the parishion- 
ers. 

Mr. Shaler, in making the presentation, said: 


““My Dear Frienps: Occasions of this kind are 
never considered a success unless some one makes 
a speech, and their promoters always choose some 
one whom they believe will say what is happiest or 
most appropriate to the time. It devolves upon me at 
the eleventh hour to say a few words in connection 
with this reception—not that I am at all fitted for 
doing so, but because the gentleman who was ex- 
pected to do the talking could not come. It is a dis- 
tinction for anyone to speak here to-night. Why is 
it that this array of bright faces is before me; that 
every one seems pleased with himself and in love with 
his neighbor? Is it necessary to remark that it is 
the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of Mr. 
Coster’s church work in this parish? At all events, 
that is what has brought us all here. When we give 
the time a mere passing thought, twenty years is 
not long; but when, on the other hand, we go over 
the ground, and review our lives and our acts, it is 
long enough—almost one-third of the longest period 
allotted us to live. 

“But I will not take up the time set for this en- 
tertainment with retrospective fancies or poorly 
chosen remarks, but direct a few words to our guest. 
To many of us, Sir, your experience in the parish is 
well known; the discouragements, the disappointments 
and the lukewarm assistance; the slim congrega- 
tions, the periodical bickerings and small stipends. 
We remember your regular and faithful attendance 
to hold services at all seasons and in all kinds of 
weather, before either of the inclined planes were 
built, and when you were obliged to walk up the hill; 
how you baptized the babes, married the young peo- 
ple and buried the dead; that you never complained, 
or found fault with or reproved us for our delinquen- 
cies; and many of us wondered that you were will- 
ing to remain in so unprofitable a field. For a few 


(42 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


years past, matters have been more encouraging— ~ 
the congregation has grown, good feeling has pre- 
‘vailed, and the church itself has been improved .and 
beautified. The past year especially all of the pews 
have been full, and the several branches of parish 
work are flourishing. Your confirmation class a - 
few weeks ago was not only the largest ever presented 
by you to the Bishop, but it compared favorably 
with classes in more extensive and favored parishes. 
We have all, no doubt, been striving, in a humble 
way, to make amends for the past. 

““Now, as an additional mark of affection and good 
will, and as a testimonial of this anniversary, 1 am 
requested to present to you the articles on this table. 
Take them as a tribute of our love. Here they are. 
God Bless you.” 

The rector having received these presents at the 
hands of Mr. Shaler, said in reply: 

‘““My Dear FRIENDS AND PARISHIONERS: Your 
presence here to-night, your kind looks, and these 
tokens are all evidences to me of your love and con- 
fidence. They show that time has strengthened the 
bond between us, and, coming to me on this twen- 
tieth anniversary of my connection with the parish, 
they touch my feelings more deeply than I can tell 
you, and fill my heart with gratitude to God that 
while working among you I have been able to win 
and retain your love. One of the greatest rewards 
of a clergyman’s life is the love and.confidence of 
his people. 

‘“‘T stand here before you as your rector to-night, 
not by my own choosing. God’s providence has 
brought me here. Bishop Kerfoot once said to me 
when I was anxious as to what course to pursue un- 
der certain trying circumstances, ‘My dear fellow, 
do not worry yourself. God’s providence settles 
most things for us when we are doing our duty.’ 
His words were true, my friends. That providence 
somehow linked my life with his, and so I am here 
as your rector to-night. When I was a ruddy-faced 
boy, playing on the sunny slopes of Southern Mary- 
land, and fishing and sailing on the waters of the 
Patuxent and the Chesapeake, I had no thought 
of ever making my home in Pittsburgh. I remember 
that, as a schoolboy, when studying geography, my 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 43 


eye fell upon that little black spot on the map marked 
Pittsburgh, lying at the junction of the two rivers, 
Allegheny and Monongahela, and my attention was 
arrested by the peculiar sound of these names; but 
I never expected to live here. It came about thus: 
One bright Sunday morning, when I was a lad, while 
on my way to Middleham chapel, my pastor, 
the Rev. Erastus F. Dashiell (now gone to his 
rest), rector of Christ Church Parish, Calvert County, 
Maryland, came along on horseback, and reining up 
his horse beside me, and calling me by my first name, 
said: ‘Robert, I wish to say something to you. 
You ought to be a clergyman; you ought to prepare 
yourself for the ministry.’ This thought had oc- 
curred to me at times before; it now took the form 
of a wish and purpose. I did.not for some time, 
however, see my way clear to fit myself for the min- 
istry. At length the opening came, and I went to 
see my Bishop, the noble Whittingham. He received 
me very warmly, as he already knew me, having 
baptized and confirmed me. He at once said to 
me: ‘You must go to the College of St. James. I 
wish you to be under the care of Dr. Kerfoot.’ A 
short time after that Dr. Kerfoot, the president of 
St. James’s, came to Baltimore, where I then was, 
and called on me. We had a long talk together, 
and it was settled that I should go to St. James’s. 
Thus began my acquaintance and friendship with 
Dr. Kerfoot, your first Bishop, which only ended 
with his death in 1881. Soon after this I started 
for St. James’s, which you know was in Western 
Maryland, near Hagerstown. I reached the college 
on a bright morning, October 20, 1857, and at once 
began my work. Here I remained seven years, 
under Dr. Kerfoot and Bishop Whittingham, first as 
a student, and then, after my graduation in 1862, as 
principal of the Grammar School. When I first 
went there in 1857 the college was large and 
flourishing, having nearly two hundred students in 
the two departments; but when I graduated, the 
civil war was in progress, and our numbers had been 
greatly reduced, and at length the exigencies of the 
war brought our work to a close in the summer of 
1864. The frequent passage of troops, the inter- 
ruption to travel, the stoppage of the mails and the 


44 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


cutting off of supplies scattered the students and dis- 
persed the faculty. Dr. Kerfoot went East and be- 
came the president of Trinity College; Dr. Falk went 
West and joined Dr. De Koven in his noble work at 
Racine College, where he died last summer. The 
Rev. Joseph H. Coit, another professor, went to 
Concord, N. H., to assist his brother, Dr. Henry A. 
Coit, in his work in St. Paul’s School, where he still 
is. I remained in Maryland, and at the suggestion 
of Bishop Whittingham went to Annapolis and took 
charge of a private school composed of the sons of 
Governor Bradford, Judge Tuck, and a few other 
boys. While there the Diocese of Pennsylvania was 
divided, Dr. Kerfoot was elected the first Bishop of 
Pittsburgh, and was consecrated, as you know, on 
St. Paul’s Day, January 25, 1866. A few weeks 
after his consecration he went to Hagerstown, Mary- 
land, to visit his old friends and settle some matters 
needing attention. While there he telegraphed to me in 
Baltimore to come to Hagerstown to see him on im- 
portant business. I went at once and spent a day or 
two with him at the residence of Mrs. Howard Ken- 
nedy, a warm friend of us both. Here, at the Bish- 
op’s invitation and solicitation it was settled that I 
should come to Pittsburgh and take charge of the 
Bishop Bowman Institute, which was then with- 
out a rector, Dr. Ten Broeck having just resigned 
and gone to Burlington, N. J., to take charge of a 
boys’ school. I reached Pittsburgh on March 8, 
and at once began work in the institute, which I have 
continued ever since. At Easter (which came that 
year, 1866, on April Ist, as it does this year) I re- 
turned to Baltimore, was married on Tuesday, April 
3d, and Mrs. Coster and I reached Pittsburgh, our 
future home, on this day, Thursday, April 5th, just 
twenty-two years ago. We celebrate thus to-day 
a double anniversary. During my first year in Pitts- 
burgh I had no parochial work of my own. I as- 
sisted the city clergy as I was called upon, and took 
whatever other duty the Bishop assigned tome. At 
the beginning of my second year in Pittsburgh it 
had been deemed wise to start a mission on Penn 
Avenue near Twenty-eighth street, the principal 
movers in the matter being our city lay missionary, 
Mr. Morris, and Captain Thomas J. Brereton. With 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 45 


the Bishop’s consent, it was started under the name 
of St. Luke’s Mission, and I was sent to take charge 
of it. We had a Sunday School and afternoon serv- 
ice, and, with the aid of Captain Brereton’s family, 
the school grew and the service was quite well at- 
tended. We reported to the Convention of 1867, 
June, a school of six or eight teachers and about one 
hundred and twenty scholars, with an attendance 
of thirty to forty persons at the afternoon service. 
The success of the Mission seemed to give promise 
of permanent growth, and the laymen interested 
in it wished to organize a parish, and call a clergy- 
man who could give his whole time to the work. I 
therefore withdrew, a parish was formed under the 
name of All Saints, and the work went on under 
other management. The result most of you know. 
The story is an interesting chapter in the history of 
the Church in Pittsburgh, but we cannot dwell upon 
it now. At that time, when I was free to take other 
work, this parish was vacant, and the Bishop was 
anxious that services should be resumed here; so, 
upon consultation with some of the laymen of the 
parish (Mr. T. J. Bigham and others), the Bishop 
sent me here as Missionary in Charge, and on the 
Sunday before Easter, April the 5th, 1868, I held 
my first service under this appointment, just twenty 
years ago to-day. 

“At that time the affairs of the parish were not 
in an encouraging condition. The church had been 
closed nearly a year and was in debt about six hun- 
dred dollars. The repairs and improvements begun 
on the church several years before had been left 
unfinished, only this room (the Sunday School room) 
being in condition to be used. Consequently for 
more than a year we worshiped in this room without 
any of the accessories of a reverent and beautiful 
worship. Steps were at once taken to raise the 
money to pay off the indebtedness, and this 
being done, we set to work to raise funds to 
furnish the church. By the liberality of our 
own people, then not more than forty or fifty 
in number, and by the aid of the churchmen in 
the city, we soon had most of the money needed, 
and early in July, 1869, the work was finished, and, 
on the eighteenth of the month the church was opened 


46 A’ HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


for the first time in my ministrations, when Bishop 
Kerfoot preached and confirmed eight persons. 
Early in December all the indebtedness had been’ 
paid, and on December the twenty-sixth, the Sun- 
day after Christmas, the Bishop consecrated the 
church. Then for the first time the parish found 
itself with its church complete in its appointments. 
and free from debt. The congregation, though 
small, was united and harmonious, and the work’ 
went on without serious interruption. I know 
that at first I did not have the full confidence of all’ 
the members. Observances that I had been accus-’ 
tomed to all my life, such as the use of the Cross in 
the church and turning toward the altar and bowing 
at the name of Our Lord in the creed, seemed to be 
novelties here and to cause alarm; and while I was 
careful not to offend the prejudices of any, I fear I 
did give offence to some, though unintentionally. 
However, I went on steadily with the services, teach-' 
ing the truth as I understood the Church’s doctrines 
as laid down in her formularies and as | had learned 
them from the apostolic Whittingham and the de-’ 
vout and scholarly Kerfoot, and as time went on you 
learned to know me better and to trust me more. 


““And here let me say, in passing, that I regard 
it as the greatest privilege of my life to have been 
closely associated with these two men, Whittingham 
and Kerfoot; and to have received instruction from 
them, and to have enjoyed their friendship and con- 
fidence to the end of their lives. And I believe that 
whatever good I have been permitted to do as a 
clergyman, and whatever measure of usefulness I 
have had in the service of the Church, have been due, 
under God, to the influence, teaching and encour- 
agement of these two men. 


‘“‘In the past we have often had a hard struggle as 
a parish; but God has blessed our labors, and a 
brighter day seems to be before us. Not much, per- 
haps, has been done; but all these years, as Mr. 
Shaler said, I have baptized your children, I have 
married your young people, I have visited the sick 
and buried the dead. These, my friends, are very, 
sacred duties that touch the depths of the heart 
and leave memories that death alone can efface. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 47 


‘“‘T know not what more I can say than to ask God’s 
blessing upon you and upon our work for His sake, 
and to pray Him that, when that work here shall 
have been finished, we all, pastor and people, may 
join the Church Triumphant and meet again to wor- 
ship, together in His eternal and glorious presence.”’ 

The recior received many letters of congraruiation 
from, absent friends, and a few of these are. given 
here as a part of the history of the pleasant event. 

The following was received fiom the venerable Dr. 
Crumpton, then in the 9th vear o: his age: 

PittsBuRGH, April 3, 1888. 
Rev. R. J. Coster. 

DEAR BrotTHER. I last evening received an in- 
vitation from Mr John C. Shaler to attend the 
twentieth anniversary of your rectorship of Grace 
Church. It would be a sincere pleasure to be with 
you on that occasion and personally congratulate 
you on your acceptable ministry; but my infirmities 
are such that I am hindered from going from home 
except on the most indispensable duties. 

My prayer will be that your rectorship may be 
prolonged for future happiness to yourself and to 
the congregation in which you have so usefully 
labored. 

I am, dear brother, yours most respectfully, etc., 

Tuomas CRUMPTON 

The following was received from the Rev. Richard 
S. Smith, then the faithful rector of St. Peter’s Church, 
Uniontown: 

St. PeTEerR’s, Uniontown, April 4, 1888. 
To THE Rev. R..J. CosTEr. 

Rev. AND DEAR BroTHER: I sincerely'regret my 
inability to be present. at the reception which I find 
is’ to be given you at. Grace Church to-morrow 
(Thursday) evening. It would have ‘afforded me 
much pleasure to have’ been able to unite with the 
many in doing “‘honor to whom honor is.due.”’ 

Allow: me, however, to present to you’ my \sincere 
congratulations, and to express the hope that many: 
years of successful labor for the Master may be added 
by you to the twenty already spent, and that many 
souls added.to the Church through your ministry 
may form your crown of rejoicing ‘“‘in that day.” 

Yr. affectionate friend and brother, 
R. S$. Smitu. 


48 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


From Rev. J. Heber McCandless: 


St. LuKE’s CHURCH, 
Smethport, Pa., April 4, 1888. 

My Dear Mr. SHALEeR: Your kind note of in- 
vitation was received yesterday, and I should be 
very glad indeed to be present at the reception to 
the Rev. Mr. Coster on the occasion of his twentieth 
anniversary as rector of Grace Church, Pittsburgh, 
if I could be released from duties that keep me at 
home just now. 

I have known Mr. Coster all these twenty years. 
He was one of my examiners for Deacon’s Orders, 
and has always been my sincere friend. I have 
loved him for himself, and for his patient persevering 
work—the kind of work that gathers, continues and 
grows—showing such results as we may see in your 
parish and in the Seminary for Young Women, over 
which he presides. 

Please convey my hearty congratulations to Mr. 
Coster on the occasion that commemorates a score 
of years so well spent in good works, with the wish 
that he may be long spared to see yet greater results 
and enjoy the fruits of his successful pastorate. 

I am, dear sir, sincerely yours, 
J. HeBer McCanptess, 
Rector St. Luke’s Church. 


From the Rev. E. A. Angell, then rector of the 
Church of Our Father, Foxburg, Pa.: 

THE Rectory, Foxburg, Pa., April 2, 1888. 
Mr. JouN C. SHALER. 

My Dear Sir: I sincerely regret my inability to 
accept your kind invitation for the 5th instant; 
but as I am planning a trip East for a week later, I 
cannot leave home at that time. Give my congrat- 
ulations to Mr. Coster. He truly deserves them, for 
in these days of evanescent clergymen, one who has 
spent twenty years in one parish is almost a curiosity. 
Nevertheless, it speaks well for both priest and peo- 
ple. 

Yours sincerely, 
Epmunp A. ANGELL. 

From the Rev. G. A. Carstensen, rector of St. 
Paul’s Church, Erie, Pa.: 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 49 


APRIL 3, 1888. 

My Dear Mr. Coster: I am in receipt of a kind 
invitation from Mr. John C. Shaler, Jr., to attend 
a reception in the lecture room of Grace Church, 
Pittsburgh, on Thursday evening next. I under- 
stand that it is to commemorate the twentieth an- 
niversary of your rectorship of the parish. Under 
any circumstances such an event is an interesting 
one in our changeful country and still more changeful 
times; but what a ioyful time it will be in a parish 
where pastor and people have always ‘‘kept the faith 
in the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace,’”’ as 
they have in Grace Church, Mt. Washington. 

I cannot be with you—I wish I could; but I send 
you my congratulations, my fraternal love, and my 
best prayers for God’s good blessing in the years to 
come as in those that are gone. 

Most cordially yours, 
G. A. CARSTENSEN. 

From the Rev. Samuel Maxwell, then the rector 
of Trinity Church, Pittsburgh: 


: APRIL 2, 1888. 

My Dear Mr. Coster: Let me most heartily 
congratulate you upon the completion of your 
twentieth year as rector of Grace Parish, It is a 
great disappointment to me, on account of my high 
personal regard for you, that I shall not be able to 
accept the polite invitation extended to me to be 
present at the reception to be given to you on Thurs- 
day evening next. * * * I would dearly love to 
be among the many who will congratulate you. 

With every good wish for you and yours, and the 
prayer that you may long be spared to the ministry 
of the church and to that portion where you are so 
respected and beloved, I am, 

Yours faithfully, 
SAMUEL MAxWELL. 


Other letters of congratulation were received, 
which are highly prized by the rector; but they are 
either too personal in their character or too warmly 
expressive of affection and esteem to appear here. 

Another event of this year deserves special men- 
tion. In October Mrs. Maria Louisa Bigham, wife 
of the late Thomas J. Bigham, after a short illness 


50 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


was called to the rest of the people of God. She 
died at her home, on Woodville Avenue, where all 
her married life had been spent, at about 4 o’clock 
on Sunday evening, October 14, surrounded by her 
family, and was laid to rest in Allegheny Cemetery 
Tuesday afternoon, October 16. The funeral service 
was held in Grace Church, of which she was in reality 
the originator and founder; and the large congrega- 
tion of her friends, which completely filled the 
church, showed how much she was respected by her 
neighbors. At the conclusion of the service a last 
look at her kind and dignified face was taken by all 
present. Some kissed her cold lips, others dropped 
a tear upon herremains. All felt that they were tak- 
ing leave of a woman who had been richly endowed 
with the higher gifts of mind and heart and with 
the grace and dignity of inherited refinement. She 
had been for many years a teacher in the Sunday 
School, a regular worshiper in the church, and a 
leader in every effort to maintain the worship and 
to extend the influence of the church in the com- 
munity. She was, too, a woman strong in her con- 
victions and firm in her purposes. Her influence 
was, therefore, widely felt; and the young people 
who grew up around her respected her ability and 
venerated her person. Her removal left a vacancy 
there was no one to fill. The present generation of 
Mount Washington, consequently, can never for- 
get the grace and dignity of her personality; and the 
church which she loved and did so much to establish 
must ever be a witness of her faith in her Lord and 
her zeal in His service. 

Early in the following year the congregation lost 
another of its members, Miss Edith N. Ferguson, 
who died February 1, 1890, in the thirty-first year 
of her age, and was buried February 3, in Allegheny 
Cemetery. Miss Ferguson was raised a Lutheran, 
but her convictions and preferences led her to adopt 
the Episcopal Church as her spiritual guide. She 
was confirmed by Bishop Kerfoot in 1880, and con- 
tinued a regular communicant to the end. She was 
a devout, lovely woman, richly endowed both by 
nature and grace. She had travelled extensively, 
both in her own country and in Europe. She was a 
discriminating and assiduous reader, and a devoted 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 51 


student of Art. Her fine literary taste, her delicate 
perception of the beautiful in Art and Nature, and 
her quick, ready memory gave a charm to her con- 
versation; while her vivacious, witty tempera- 
ment and her generous, confiding disposition 
made her a most agreeable companion, and won for 
her a wide circle of devoted friends. As a Christian 
woman, her simple, unpretentious piety and her de- 
vout, reverant manner gave evidence of a deep, 
earnest nature that accepted fully revealed truth, 
and brought her whole heart and mind into the ser- 
vice of her Divine Master. Pure, true and faithful, 
she won the hearts of friends and honored the service 
of her Lord. Her bright, cheerful disposition and 
winning, charming manner linger in the memory 
of her friends like thoughts of a beautiful picture. 
“Though dead she yet speaketh.” 

The publication of a parish paper, called GracE 
CuurcH Recorp, forms a part of the history of the 
year 1890. It was chiefly through the efforts of 
the Guild of the church that the publication was 
maintained. In consultation with the rector, the 
matter was discussed, the name and motto adopted, 
and arrangements made for issuing the first number, 
which appeared in March of this year. It was de- 
cided to print it quarterly, in March, June, Septem- 
ber and December, as an organ of parish work. The 
aim of its promoters may be gathered from a passage 
in the salutatory, which appeared in the first num- 
ber, and reads as follows: 


““Sometimes all that is needed to give success to 
a worthy enterprise is full information as to its value 
and needs. We believe that this is true even of 
parish work. We therefore intend to issue at regular 
intervals a sheet that will inform our people of the 
needs of our parish, and of the agencies through 
which their aid can be made available.”’ 

The editorial work of the paper was performed 
almost entirely by John C. Shaler, Jr., who collected 
and arranged the matter and did all the proof reading. 
The rector gave some little assistance by collecting 
now and then a few items, and by preparing an oc- 
casional article for its columns. The business man- 
agement of the paper was taken care of by A. Filson 


52 A HISTORY OF GARCE CHURCH PARISH. 


Dalzell and George A. Johnson. The paper was 
gratuitously distributed in the parish, the expense of 
publishing it being met by donations from the Lay- 
men’s Guild and the Ladies’ Mite Society and by 
voluntary contributions from members of the con- 
gregation. 

Matter on the first page of the first number is re- 
produced here, since it gives information of per- 
manent interest in the history of the parish: 


GRACE CHURCH RECORD. 
“‘ Doers of the Word, not hearers only.’’—JAMES i, 22. 
Vol. 1 PITTSBURGH, MARCH, 1890. No. 1 


GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 
Cor. Bertha and Sycamore Streets, 
Mt. Washington, Thirty-second Ward, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
HOURS OF SERVICE. 
Sundays: 
Morning Prayer and Sermon, 10:30 o'clock. 
Holy Communion, First Sunday of each month. 
Baptisms, any Sunday except first Sunday of 
the month. 


Sunday School at 9:30 A. M. 
Week Days, Lenten Season only: 


Evening Prayer, Wednesday at 7:30 o'clock; 
Friday at 4:00 o’clock, P. M. 





‘PARISH DIRECTORY. 


RECTOR. 

Rev. Robert John Coster, Penn Avenue and 
Fourth Street. 

THE VESTRY. 

John Bindley, Sentor Warden. 

Oliver H. Stinson, Junior Warden. 

John S. McMillin, Treasurer, Grandview Avenue 
and Bigham Street. 


John C. Shaler, Jr., Secretary, 419 Wood Street. 
Thomas F. Ashford, William P. Linhart, O. 
W. Sadler, M. D., Vestrymen. 
JANITRESS. 


Mrs. E. Tite, residence, Cor. Bertha and Syca- 
more Streets. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 53 


USHERS. 


Thomas F. Ashford, Jr., Thomas G. Bond, 

Edward C. Purkey, George A. Johnson. 
CHOIR. 

Precentor, Richard Burfoot. 

Organist, Melville L. Stout. : 

Sopranos, Robert Naysmith, Britton Baker, 
Aaron Speer, Albion McMillin, Carl Turney, Samuel 
McKain, Willie Jones, Samuel Reno, Edwin Bindley, 
Denning Shaler, Clint. Agnew, John McKain, Charles 
Nevergold, Charles Waggoner. 

Altos, Robert Reno, Samuel Trantor. 

Tenors, John Boyce, Edward Gould, E. C. Shaler. 

Bass, Richard Burfoot, Fred. Johnson, Samuel 
Kenah. 

SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

Superintendent, John C. Shaler, Jr., 

Organist, Miss Elmina McMillin. 

Librarian, Samuel Kenah. 

CLASSES AND TEACHERS. 

- No. 
Miss E. A. Bigham. 8. Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 
Miss Elmina McMillin. 9. Mrs. Helen Harper. 
Miss Emily McMillin. 10. Miss Lottie Marland. 
Miss Ignatia Marlan. 11. Miss Annie Hughes. 
John Williams. 12. John C. Shaler, Jr. 
Miss Minnie Singer. 13. Miss Bessie Kenah. 
. Miss Lizzie Hughes. 14. Miss Kate Ream. 


MITE SOCIETY OF GRACE CHURCH. 


Meets every Wednesday afternoon, 2 o’clock. 

President—Mrs. A. M. Whittier. 

Vice President—Mrs. M. A. Thompson. 

Treasurer—Mrs. J. S. McMillin. 

Secretary—Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 

EXECUTIVE CoMMITTEE.—Mrs. W. P. Linhart, 
Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp, Mrs. J. B. Armiger, Mrs. 
Harry W. Neely. 

VisiTING ComMiITTEES.—lst District—Mrs. J. J. 
Lowe, Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 2d District—Mrs. E. 
Smithson, Mrs. Mary Speer. 3d District—Mrs. A. M. 
Whittier, Mrs. J. S. McMillin. 4th District—Mrs. 
Jos. S. Bollman, Miss Lottie Marland. 5th District— 
Mrs. J. B. Armiger, Miss Lydia Eynon. 


° 


NO our wMr Z 





54 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


CHANCEL ComMITTEE.—Mrs. M. A. Thompson, 
Mrs. E. Smithson, Mrs. Mary Kenah, Mrs. Mary Speer, 
Miss Emma Bennett. 


GRACE CHURCH GUILD. 


Meets in Sunday School room, second Monday of 
each month at 8 P. M. 
Prestdent—John C. Shaler, Jr. 
Vice President—Thomas F. Ashford. 
Treasurer—Joseph F. Bollman. 
Secretary—A. Filson Dalzell. 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.—Thomas F. Ashford, 
Jr., Thomas L. Bond, Thomas Jones, Harry W. Neely, 
George A. Johnson. 


YOUNG LADIES’ AID SOCIETY. 
Meets every other Friday evening, at residences of 
members as appointed. 
President—Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 
Vice President—Miss Lottie Marland. 
Secretary—Miss Birdie Hughes. 
Treasurer—Miss Minnie Singer. 


TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Meets last Friday evening of each month. 


President—Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 
Secretary—Miss Bessie Kenah. 
Treasurer—Samuel Kenah. 


From the second number of ‘“‘Gracze CHURCH 
REcoRD,’’ we gather the following account of the 
Easter services of this year: 

‘Easter Sunday (April 6, 1890) was a peerless day. 
It dawned upon us bright and balmy, as though it 
was in harmony with the glad truth which Christians 
on that day commemorate. Its peaceful beauty 
helped to attune the hearts of the faithful to sing 
the triumphant song of the Resurrection Morning. 
We went to church meditating upon the awakening 
life of nature as symbolizing the new power imparted 
to ruined sinners by the Risen Lord, and ready to 
join with gladness in the holy services of the day. 
Imagine, then, our pleasure at seeing that loving 
hands had been busy in beautifying the house of the 
Lord in honor of the high festival. The altar was 
arrayed in spotless white. Flowers placed thereon 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 55 


lent their beauty and fragrance to give it a more festal 
appearance. Ferns and lilies with their delicate 
fronds and graceful forms hid the stone font. There 
was adornment without profusion, and splendor 
without pretence. The picture of simple beauty was 
complete when the choristers and clergy filed into the 
crowded church singing ‘Christ the Lord is risen to- 
day.’ 

‘“The service was begun and maintained upon a 
high plane of devotion, and all present, whose hearts 
were really in the worship, must have felt that it 
was indeed good to be there. 


“The choir of fourteen boys and six men rendered 
the musical part of the service very effectively, under 
the direction of Mr. Burfoot, and for the first time 
assisted at the celebration of the Holy Communion, 
singing the Trisagion, the Agnus Dei and the gloria 
in Excelsis with much feeling and devotion. 

‘““The service in the evening was also one of great 
interest and worthy of remembrance. The Bishop 
then made his visitation to the parish, preached the 
sermon and confirmed a class of fourteen. The ser- 
vice was of the same festal character as that of the 
morning. The presence of the Bishop and the festi- 
val nature of this service brought many visitors to 
the church, so that some had to stand during the 
whole evening, while others had to go away, being 
unable even to find standing room. 

“Tt was a rare opportunity to show to strangers 
the beauty and reverence of the church’s ways, and 
as no service is without its effect, we may hope that 
the worship rendered and the words spoken at these 
Easter services will be like seed cast into the ground, 
that will bring forth fruit in due season, which fruit 
our Lord will reap in His own good time to the honor 
of His name and the benefit of His Holy Church.”’ 

At the congregational meeting on Easter Monday, 
April 7, about twenty-five members were present, 
a number rather above the average attendance on 
such occasions. In addition to the election of a 
vestry, several matters of interest to the parish took 
place. A legacy of $100 was received from the estate 
of the late Maria L. Bigham, and it was decided to 
add this gift to the Maria Adams Endowment Fund 


56 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


of the parish. A vote of thanks was tendered to 
Mrs. Samuel Harper for the gift of two handsome 


chandeliers for the church. 


We here record the financial report of the parish 


made at this meeting; 


FINANCIAL REPORT.—EASTER MONDAY, 


1890. 





GENERAL FUND. 
Plate offerings and donations to- 

ward current expenses...... $404.21 
Plate offerings for special objects 159.33 
Rec’d on pledges to rector’s sal- 


2 OR ane ae ete Le lay 532.30 
Paid towards generalexpenses... 371.08 
Paid—special objects........... 158.338 
Paid rector, on account......... - 268.05 

Balances )l2 6.0720 Ja. 
On hand for expense............ $33.13 
On hand for rector... ese 264.25 
On hand for special............. 1.00 


CONTINGENT FUND. 
Net proceeds of recent fair................ 
Paid assessment for opening Bertha street. . 

Balance .n. 62 fess See ei 


SUNDAY SCHOOL. 
On hand and rec’d from classes. . $86.96 


enten. Mite boxes! ai ve See 56.85 
General expense. ....5. 205 056 42.10 
Paid treasurer of Diocesan Mis-. 
SIONS Eh lik ed eer ee et te 56.85 
Balance rae sae eo 
GRACE CHURCH GUILD. 
Osjthandand dues paid im... /.).. eee 


Expenses—warrants paid................ 


Balance se ee eee ae eae 


$1,095.84 


797.46 


$298 . 38 


$298 . 38 


$275.14 
41.99 


$215.15 


$143.81 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 57 


FINANCIAL REPORT—ConrtriINvED. 





MARIA ADAMS ENDOWMENT FUND. 





On hand Easter, 1889........... $683.60 

IUSRRESTH SHE A Vad A Ne ERO ni PH S383 

Annual offering, Advent, 1889... 21.00 
— pote 

A bequest from Maria L. Bigham, deceased, 
will be added tothisfund............ 95.00 
Aciditien) GObaliy sie eisvasnn Si oes $827.13 


By resolution of the rector and vestry, the prin- 
cipal of this fund is not to be used; but in time its 
income may be applied to special objects, or even 
to ordinary expenses. 

LADIES’ MITE SOCIETY. 


Balance in hand of treasurer.............. $23.00 
RECAPITULATION. 
On hand and 

Received Disbursements 
WREST Senile) valet lay ialfel eyahiaye $1,095.84 $797 .46 
Contingent tune 21). 0 257.14 41.99 
Sunday SCHOOl yw oe. sll 143.81 98.95 
(Gavilan ORR Ae Ea Re UN 41.11 21.09 
Maria Adams Fund.......... MM hea AR Le eC VOI Ea LY 
Mitiensociety ae. neo sh DOO Wi Yi oiaiets 
Balanceallltamds eis lee Cy sian 1,428.54 


$2,388.03 $2,388.03 
From the organization of the parish down to this 
time (Easter, 1890) there had been but one service 
on Sunday, and a session of the Sunday School. 
Now the rector determined to give also an evening 
service every other Sunday, beginning with Sunday, 
May 11. This plan was adopted because the rector 
was doubtful whether he could undertake two full 
services every Sunday in addition to his other 
duties, which taxed severely his time and his strength. 
It may be here stated that this arrangement of the 
services continued until the beginning of Lent, 1892, 
when the rector began to hold two services each Sun- 
day, morning and evening, and has continued this 
ever since. 
In the fall of 1890 one of the bright and promising 
young women of Grace Church was taken from us 
by that dreaded disease, consumption. She was a 


58 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


cheerful, happy-hearted girl, intelligent and comely, 
and gave promise of a noble and useful womanhood. 
The following notice of her death appeared in GRACE 
CHuRcH ReEcoRD, December, 1890: 


Emity McMi iin. 

On Sunday, November 30, 1890, Emily McMillin, 
the second daughter of John S. and Mary Bindley 
McMillin, after an illness of several months was called 
to rest, in the nineteenth year of herage. Early inthe 
spring symptoms of disease appeared that alarmed her 
friends, and by the advice of her physician she was 
taken to Colorado, with the hope that the climate 
and the change might bring relief and restore her 
health. There everything was done that medical 
skill and good nursing could accomplish, but it soon 
became apparent that all was in vain. Her cough 
increased, her strength steadily failed, and soon she 
was confined to her chair. In this state of weakness 
the beautiful traits of her character became strikingly 
evident. Patient, gentle, trustful, she waited in 
peace the change that all saw was speedily coming. 
No word of complaint or murmuring escaped her. 
Thoughtful, as ever was her wont, for the kind 
friends who watched by her and were anxious to 
anticipate all her wants, she suffered in silence to 
spare them anxiety and grief. * * * 

At length, when all hope of improvement was gone, 
she desired to be brought home. She bore the long 
journey with remarkable fortitude, and when she 
reached the city the thought of weariness and weak- 
ness was forgotten in the peaceful comfort of being 
again in her own home surrounded by those she 
loved. Then again the watching by her side was 
taken up by her parents and friends. Day by 
day she grew weaker, and at length just two weeks 
after her return, the end came. It was Sunday 
morning. She felt that she was going, and calling 
all her family around her, requested them not to leave 
her. The day wore on. Finally, calling them to her 
side one by one, she kissed them and bade them good- 
bye, taking leave of her father last. She then seemed 
satisfied, and closing her eyes, passed away as in a 
peaceful sleep. 

‘“‘Asleep in Jesus. Oh, how sweet, 
To be for such a slumber meet.”’ 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 59 


She was taken away in the full flush of young 
womanhood; but we would not say her death was 
premature, for the all-wise and loving Father, whose 
child she was, knows best. 

She was baptized in infancy, by the present rector, 
and grew up in the church, receiving her religious 
instruction in the services of the church and in the 
Sunday School. When of proper age she was con- 
firmed and admitted to the Holy Communion, and 
thus the regular development of her Christian char- 
acter went on with her increasing years, under the 
teaching and guidance of the church; and she always 
had the comfort of believing and feeling that she was 
a child of God. Thus she lived a beautiful life, and 
all her friends knew how good and true she was. 
We will not, then, think of her as one lost to us, but 
as one sharing the rest of the people of God; and 
when we call her virtues to mind, we will thank God 
for the bright example of His dear child, for her 
gentle spirit, her child-like faith, her calm trust in 
His mercy. 


CHANGES BY REMOVALS. 


Early in 1891 there were several changes in the 
parish, by removals, that deserve to be mentioned. 
Mr. John Bindley, who for about nine years had-been 
an active worker in the parish and had filled for most 
of that time the position of vestryman and warden, 
moved, on the first of February, to his new home 
in the city, on Fifth Avenue, near Aiken Street. He 
had come up to Mount Washington in 1882, and had 
made his home in the old Boggs residence, on Boggs 
Avenue, and become a regular attendant of the ser- 
vices of Grace Church, taking also a full share in 
all the efforts made to promote the interests of 
the parish. His constancy and his liberality were 
great helps in the parish, and all regretted his re- 
moval. 

In April of the same year occurred another re- 
moval, which was alsoa great loss to the parish. 
The family of Mr. Joshua Goldthorp moved to 
Wilkinsburg and became members of St. Stephen’s 
parish. Mrs. Goldthorp had long been one of the 
parish’s most active workers. For more than ten 
years she had been a sort of leader in all musical and 


60 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


social matters in the parish. Her sweet, rich voice 
and her skill in managing entertainments rendered 
her services to the church invaluable. She had 
been the chief singer in the choir for several years; 
she had organized and trained in 1886 the first boy 
choir of the church, besides taking a principal part 
in all the entertainments of the parish for church or 
social purposes. Her removal was, therefore, keenly 
felt. Itisa pleasure, however, to know that Grace 
Church’s loss is another’s gain, and that Mrs. 
Goldthorp’s zeal and ability are still doing good 
service for the church in another field. 

This year (1891) was marked also by several changes 
in the leadership of the choir. Early in February 
the precentor, Richard Burfoot, resigned, after a year’s 
service, and soon thereafter Mr. M. L. Stout, long 
the faithful organist of the church, expressed his 
wish to retire. These two resignations left the choir 
without a master, and the church without an organist, 
and caused, for about two months, serious inter- 
ruption to the music of the congregation. 

On the first of April, however, the vestry secured 
the services of Daniel Doré Ezechiels, a fine musician 
and a skillful choir-master, who at once set to work 
with enthusiastic vigor to reorganize and drill the 
choir. In a few months he brought it to a higher 
state of efficiency than it had ever reached before. 
In speaking of the matter, Mr. Ezechiels said: “If 
the choir’s improvement has been satisfactory, it 
is largely due to the generous assistance of the rector 
and vestry and to the cheering encouragement of 
the ladies of the Mite Society; but it is particularly 
due to the members of the reorganized choir them- 
selves, every one of whom has done his best.” 

During the summer vacation, new choir-stalls 
were put in the church, a new robing room was built, 
and electrical signals connecting the organ and the 
robing room were supplied by the liberality of Mr. 
William Naysmith. When the services were re- 
sumed in September the choir was in good training 
and the music very acceptable. It was evident 
that the boys were in the hands of a skillful master. 

But the church was not to have the services of 
Mr. Ezechiels for any considerable time. In Octo- 
ber he received an offer from St. John’s Church, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 61 


Amesbury, Mass., to take charge of their choir, with 
the promise of a much larger salary than Grace 
Church could pay him; and so the rector and vestry 
agreed, at his request, to release him on the first of 
December, from his contract with them, and he left 
and went to Massachusetts. They then engaged 
Mr. James Dodworth, late of Sheffield, England, to 
fill the vacancy. He proved to be an efficient choir- 
master, and during his incumbency very successfully 
maintained the musical part of the service. 

The Sunday School of the parish has long been 
very successfully conducted by the earnest efforts 
of Mr. John C. Shaler, our faithful Superintendent. 
Notwithstanding engrossing duties which keep him 
very busy all the week, he devotes a large portion 
of each Lord’s Day to Sunday School work. He 
gathers about him a band of effective teachers, 
whom he inspires with a large share of his own en- 
thusiasm. 


Two occasions in the church year are of special 
interest to the Sunday School—the Christmas festi- 
val, and the Whitsunday afternoon service. The 
Christmas festival of this year, in accordance with 
a long-established custom, was held on the evening 
of Holy Innocents Day (December 28, 1891). The 
attendance was large, completely filling the school- 
room. The rector held a short service and addressed 
the children. The singing of carols, the distri- 
bution of Christmas presents, and the general good 
cheer of the company, all combined to make the 
festival a very pleasing event. It is not, however, 
these features of the occasion, but the record of the 
attendance of the scholars, that we desire to note 
here. This record gives evidence of the interest of 
scholars and teachers in their school, as shown in 
the regular attendance of such a large proportion 
of the pupils. All those mentioned in the following 
classes attended thirty-five or more Sundays during 
the past year, reckoned from Advent to Advent, 
leaving out the month of August, during which the 
school is closed. 


Miss Bigham’s class: George Reed, Willie Kenah, 


Willie Hughes, Frank Bond, Oscar Torrence, Harry 
Butterfield. 


62 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Miss Bowman’s class: Kate Needham, Josephine 
Needham, Mary Williams, Emma Henry, Rachel 
Waite. 

Miss Armiger’s class: Thomas Eicher, Frank 
Glaize, George Glaize, Albert Heinreich, Christian 
Heinreich, Samuel Howarth. : 

Mr. Williams’s class: Nellie Naysmith, Jeannette 
McKain, Ella McKain, Alice Gould, Sadie Glaize, 
Lydia Eicher, Violet Bollman. 

Miss Lizzie Hughes’s class: Willie Girvan, George 
Swerger, Fred. Swerger, Lewis McKain, Edward 
Gould, Willie Niven, Paul Harper. 

Miss Newell’s class: Alice Williams, Mary Wil- 


“ liams, Eliza Williams, Maggie Alstadt, Edith Min- 


singer, Lillie Heinreich. 

Miss Annie Hughes’s class: Aaron Speer, Willie 
Jones, Harry Reed, Albert Turbett, Joseph Ashford, 
Eddie Zehfuss, Stanley Wilmot, George Wilmot, 
Albion McMillin. 

Miss Ream’s class: Lenora Ashford, Margaret Ash- 
ford, May Minsinger, Carrie Minsinger. 

Mrs. Shaler’s class: Rosie Naysmith, Cora Bow- 
man, Annie Armiger, Sadie Armstrong, May Cargo, 
Mary Ashford. 

Mrs. Harper’s class: Ida Newell, Ardella Arm- 
strong. 

Miss Rebecca Torrence’s class: Alfred Bowman, 
Joseph Needham, Harry Needham, Albert Glaize. 

Miss Kenah’s class: Carrie Howarth, Sadie Min- 
singer, Maud Minsinger, Lulie Stout, Annie Loud- 
erbaugh. 

Mrs. McKain’s class: Howard Niven, Willie Loud- 
erbaugh, Robert Naysmith, John Patton, John 
Wherry. 

We record with pleasure in the history of the 
church: this ‘“‘Roll of Honor.’”’ As ‘‘men are but 
children of a larger growth,’’ we venture to predict 
that these same persons will be found to be constant 
and faithful in the duties of mature life. ‘He that 
is faithful in the least thing will also be faithful in 
that which is much.” 

We repeat here the hours of service and the parish 
directory, as given in the parish paper, GRACE 
CuHuRcH ReEcorp, for June, 1892. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 63 


GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 
Cor. Bertha and Sycamore Streets, 
Mt. Washington. 
Thirty-second Ward, Pittsburgh, Pa. 





HOURS OF SERVICE. 
SUNDAYS: 

Morning Prayer and Sermon, 10:30 o’clock. 

Evening Prayer and Sermon, 7:30 o'clock. 

Holy Communion, First Sunday of each month. 

Baptisms, any Sunday except first Sunday of the 
month. 

Sunday School at 9:30 A. M.; Mission School, Du- 
quesne Heights, 2:30 P. M. 





PARISH DIRECTORY. 


RECTOR, 
Rev. Robert John Coster, Penn Avenue and Fourth 
Street. 
THE VESTRY. 
Meets at 8 P. M. on the first Tuesday of each month, 
at residence of Captain McMillin. 

Alfred Marland, Sentor Warden. 

O. H. Stinson, Junior Warden. 

William P. Linhart, Tvreasurer. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., Secretary. 

Thomas F. Ashford, John S. McMillin, O. W. 
Sadler, M. D., Vestrymen. 

CHOIR. 

Organist and Directress, Miss Taylor. 

Assistant, Mr. Samuel Kenah. 

Librarian, Robert Revelvey. 

Sacristan, G. Fred Johnson. 

Cantorts (trebles)—Harry Needham. R., Walk- 
meyer, Aaron Speer, Hunter Dewsnap, William Jones, 
Charles Heinrich, Herman Soffel. 
he Decani (trebles)—Noel Montreville, Herman Heis- 
ler, Harry Read, Willie Smith, George Glaize, Harry 
Hetling, Herman Heinrich, Sylvester S. Sweeney. — 

Altos—William J. McCaddon, James L. McKain. 

Tenors—William J. White, Ed. Gould, Will Urwin. 

Bassos—Robert Revelvey, G. Fred Johnson, E. C. 
Shaler, William Groves, Samuel Kenah, H. G. 
Shaler. 


64 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PRAISH. 


Ushers—Thomas F. Ashford, Jr., Ed. C. Purkey, 
Thomas G. Bond, George A. Johnson. 


GRACE CHURCH GUILD. 
Meets in Sunday School room, third Thursday of each 
month, at 8 P. M. 

President, George A. Johnson. 

Vice President, Thomas G. Bond. 

Treasurer, Joseph S. Bollman. 

Secretary, Robert Revelvey. 

Executive Committee, Thomas F. Ashford, Jr., 
William L. Bond, Thomas Jones, G. P. Whaley, 
George Brokaw. 

TEACHER'S ASSOCIATION. 


Meets at call of President. 
President, Mrs. Helen Harper. 
Secretary, Miss Bessie Kenah. 
Treasurer, G..P. Whaley. 

SUNDAY SCHOOL. 
Superintendent, John C. Shaler, Jr., 
Organists, Miss Bessie Kenah and Miss Ardella 

Armstrong. 
Librarian, G. P. Whaley. 

Classes and Teachers. 

Bishop Kerfoot—Miss E. A. Bigham. 
Star of Bethlehem—Miss Hattie Bowman. 
Christian Soldiers—Miss Ida Armiger. 
Robert J. Coster—Miss Ardella Armstrong. 
Bishop Whitehead—Miss Lizzie Hughes. 
Bishop Lyman—Miss Annie M. Newell. 
The King’s Sons—Miss Annie Hughes. 
Bishop Bowman—Miss Ida Newell. 
Infant Gleaners—Mrs. Helen Harper. 
Daughters of Grace—Miss Kate Ream. 
Maria L. Bigham—Mrs. N. R. Shaler. 
Young Evangelists—Miss Rebecca Torrence. 
The Bible Class—Miss Louise G. Taylor. 
St. Dorcas—Miss Bessie Kenah. 
Superintendent’s—Mrs. Margaret McKain. 





DUQUESNE HEIGHTS MISSON SUNDAY SCHOOL. 


Superintendent, John C. Shaler, Jr. 
Organist, Miss Madge Florence. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 65 


Classes and Teachers. 


Wheriby CArele i one Mrs. Laverty. 
Robert J. Coster Juniors...... Mrs. Wm. L.Bond. 
The Young Churchmen.......Mrs. Lowe. 
Warnes WOrkers: 0. . 6.2 sah Mrs. Purkey. 
Mambs of the Fold... 2). 2.0.00" Mrs. Richards. 





MITE SOCIETY OF GRACE CHURCH. 


Meets alternate Wednesdays, at 2 P. M. 


President, Mrs. A. M. Whittier. 

Vice President, Mrs. M. A. Thompson. 

Treasurer, Mrs. J. S. McMillin. 

Secretary, Mrs. Nellie R. Shaler. 

Executive Committee, Mrs. Bond, Mrs. Linhart, 
Mrs. Niven, Mrs. Florence, Mrs. Bollman. 

Altar Committee, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Linhart, 
Mrs. Naysmith, Mrs. McMillin, Mrs. Armiger, Mrs. 
Speer, Mrs. Shaler, Mrs. McKain, Mrs. Bollman, 
Mrs. Torrence. 

Visiting Committee, District No. 1—Mrs. Armiger, 
Mrs. Shaler. District No. 2—Mrs. Linhart, Mrs. 
Montreville. District No. 3—Mrs. Lowe, Mrs. Per- 
key. District No. 4—Mrs. Harper, Mrs. McMillin. 
District No. 5—Mrs. Whittier, Mrs. Coward. 





BISHOP WHITEHEAD CIRCLE, DUQUESNE HEIGHTS. 


President, Mrs. Bond. 

Vice Presidents, Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Laverty. 
Treasurer, Mrs. Florence. 

Secretary, Mrs. Richards. 





THE JUNIOR AUXILIARY (MISSION BAND). 
Meets alternate Wednesdays, at 7:30 P. M., at resi- 
dence of Mrs. Armstrong, 66 Southern Avenue. 

President, Miss Ardella Armstrong. 


Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Ida Newell. 
Orgamtst, Miss Nellie Read. 





MEMBERS OF THE PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY. 


Mrs. J. S. McMillin, Mrs. W. P. Linhart, Mrs. J. C. 
Shaler. 


66 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


A few changes will be noted in this list when com- 
pared with that taken from the parish paper for 
March, 1890. Mr. James Dodworth, who succeeded 
Mr. Ezechiels as choirmaster and organist on Decem- 
ber 1, 1891, left us on the first of June, 1892, and 
accepted an engagement as organist of Trinity 
Church, Pittsburgh. The withdrawal of Mr. Dod- 
worth was a great loss to the parish and choir, as he 
was a very competent and successful choirmaster. 

Miss Louise G. Taylor was employed to fill the 
vacancy, and under her management the music was 
very acceptably rendered. She continued to hold 
the position of organist and directress until October 
1, 1893, when, from pressure of duty as teacher in 
the Mount Washington public school, she was obliged 
to resign. During her incumbency the choir con- 
sisted of six men and fourteen boys, and maintained 
a fair degree of efficiency. 


MISSION SUNDAY SCHOOL, DUQUESNE HEIGHTS. 


A Sunday School was opened Sunday, June 12, 
1892, on Duquesne Heights, by some of the church 
women of the neighborhood, for the benefit of the 
children living in that part of the parish who were 
unable to attend the parish Sunday School. The 
chief promoters of the undertaking were Mrs. W. 
L. Bond, Mrs. James Florence, Mrs. J. J. Lowe, Mrs. 
W. P. Linhart, Mrs. E. C. Purkey and Mrs. Fred. 
Richards. Mr. John C. Shaler, the parish Sunday 
School superintendent, took charge of this work also, 
and under his direction the school was regularly 
organized and the sessions held in Grandview Hall, 
corner of Grandview Avenue and Oneida street. It 
has been doing good work in caring for the younger 
children of the parish in that vicinity, and now, at 
the end of the third year, has an attendance of eight 
teachers and about seventy children. 

The fall of this year was marked by the loss of 
one of our devout and faithful workers, Mrs. Eliza- 
beth A. Smithson, a widow, aged sixty years. She 
had been raised a Methodist, but after attending 
the services for some time with her daughter, she 
became fully satisfied that she found in the Church’s 
teaching and worship the help and comfort that she 
needed. She therefore decided to present herself 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 67 


for confirmation, and after attending the rector’s 
instructions during the Lenten season of 1886 she 
was confirmed March 21, and was at once admitted 
to the Holy Communion. She continued a con- 
sistent and earnest servant of her Divine Master to 
the end. She received her last communion during 
her final illness, on October 29, with the rector and 
her daughter Edith, and died in peace, full of faith 
and hope, on All Saints Day, November 1, 1892. And 
thus another was added to the list of devout souls 
who have gone out from our midst to the rest of 
the paradise of God’s elect. 


As the year passed by the work of the parish went 
on about as usual, marked by the ordinary changes 
and disappointments that attend all human under- 
takings. The struggle to raise the funds necessary 
to maintain the church’s work for her Divine Master 
and the difficulty of harmonizing the conflicting 
opinions and wishes of even the most faithful work- 
ers are never entirely absent from the most united 
and devout parish. All, however, should be 
grateful, as the rector certainly is, for the harmony 
and confidence which have for the most part pre- 
vailed. 


In the march of events, Christmas came, and with 
it the special services and festivities which mark 
the season. 


Christmas Day was very cold and snowy, and many 
were kept from the church by the intense inclemency 
of the weather. The church had been becomingly 
dressed with evergreens and flowers, and the choir 
of men and boys, under the direction of Miss Taylor, 
the organist, had carefully prepared appropriate 
music; and the beauty of the decorations and the 
- heartiness of the music counteracted to some extent 
the biting keenness of the cold. The congregation 
at the morning service was fairly representative, 
and the worship hearty and devout. Eighteen com- 
muned. 

The Christmas festival for the children of the Sun- 
day School was held on December 30, the Friday 
after Christmas. It was held this year for the first 
time, in the church instead of in the school room. 
This was done at the suggestion of the assistant 


68 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


superintendent, Mr. Percy Whaley, who wished to 
introduce some new features which he hoped would 
give additional interest to the occasion and serve as 
an object lesson to the children. He and some of 
the young men of the church, therefore, added to 
the church’s decoration a Jacob’s Ladder, placed 
against the chancel arch and dressed in the Church 
colors. At 7.30 P. M. about 150 children, with their 
teachers and friends, assembled, completely filling 
the church. 

The rector held a short service, consisting of the 
Lord’s Prayer, the Psalter, a lesson, a chant and 
a faw collects. He then made an address, in which, 
after he had told them of the blessed truth which 
Christmas calls to mind, and of the cause of our re- 
joicing in the message brought by the angels, ‘‘ Unto 
you is born in the city of David a Saviour, who is 
Christ the Lord,’’ he turned to the Ladder and ex- 
plained to them the emblematic significance of the 
Church colors—white, red, green, purple and black— 
brought so distinctly to their notice in the decoration 
of the successive rungs of the ladder. This explana- 
tion much interested the children, and, as the rector 
afterward learned from some of those present, also 
gave great satisfaction to many of the older mem- 
bers of the congregation, as it made plain to them 
what they had not before understood. 

The vested choir was present in the stalls and 
joined the children in singing the Christmas hymns 
and carols, and by their assistance added much to 
the heartiness of the music and to the jubilant na- 
ture of the festivities. 

The address and singing were not the only features 
of the festival. To complete the pleasure of the 
little ones, books and candies were distributed among | 
them, and a small present was made to each member 
of the: choir:as a kindly token that their volunteer 
efforts in aiding in the church music were really ap- 
preciated. 

On the following evening, Saturday, December 
31, 1892, the Mission Sunday School of the parish on 
Duquesne Heights, held its festival, in Grandview 
Hall. About 40 scholars and their teachers assembled 
and many of their parents and friends also took part 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 69 


in the festivities. The rector was present and made 
a short address. The children sang their carols and 
received presents of books, candy and fruit, and 
were specially reminded of the great gift of our Heav- 
enly Father to His people in sending to them His Son 
to be the Saviour of the world. The great value of 
these festivals lies in the fact that they give oppor- 
tunity to impress upon the minds of the children of 
the church the great truth that Christ was born to 
be the Saviour of the world. This is sufficient reason 
to make church people cling to this great festival 
and teach their children to observe it. 

The year 1893 was marked by some events in the 
parish’s history which deserve notice, as they show 
the changes brought by the passage of time. 

Lent brought to the rector, as usual, the extra ser- 
vices of the season and the frequent meetings of his 
confirmation class. While he was busy preparing 
’ for the Bishop’s visitation and all were looking for- 
ward to a joyous Easter, he and the congregation 
were startled by the sudden death of Captain John 
S. McMillin, one of the oldest and best known mem- 
bers of Grace Church. 

On Saturday morning, March 11, the rector was 
sitting in his study preparing for the services of the 
following Sunday, and about 11 o’clock Mr. Alfred 
Marland, a vestryman, came in and informed him 
that ‘‘the Captain,’”’ as he was familiarly called, had 
died suddenly that morning on Grandview Avenue. 
He was on his way to the city in company with Miss 
Elizabeth Kenah a little after 9 o’clock, and when 
a few yards beyond Stanwix street he suddenly threw 
his hand to his head with an exclamation of pain, sank 
down upon the pavement and died in a few minutes. 
He was picked up and carried into the nearest house, 
but there was nothing to be done by the doctor and 
friends who had gathered around him except to con- 
vey his lifeless body to his home. Three days later, 
Tuesday, March 14, at 2 P. M., the funeral service 
was held at the family residence, and his remains were 
buried the same afternoon in Allegheny Cemetery, 
the large gathering of friends and acquaintances who 
attended certifying to the respect with which he was 
regarded in the community where he had resided for 
more than forty years. 


70 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Captain McMillin was in some respects a remark- 
able man. He was very tall and large limbed; he had 
a strong face, a thick-set beard, and a large, well- 
formed head. His whole appearance was such as 
would attract attention in any community. His in- 
tellectual faculties, too, wereof a high order. His 
mind was keen and grasping, and his memory vigor- 
ous and retentive; and although he had had but few 
advantages in the way of education, yet he possessed 
much general information, and was a very interesting 
talker. In his quaint, vigorous manner he could 
give a very picturesque account of his experiences in 
life. He did not talk much of himself, but in the 
circle of his intimate friends the details of his early 
life in Georgetown, and his later exploits on the river 
as captain of a steamboat, sometimes formed en- 
tertaining and amusing subjects of conversation. 

He had a blunt, half-joking way of saying things 
that occasionally offended strangers; but those who - 
knew him well, could see beneath all the goodness of 
heart and the depth of honesty in the man, and there- 
fore loved and respected him for his real worth. His 
invention of the steam capstan, used on all the river 
boats, and his vigorous defence of his rights under 
his patent, gave him notoriety among steamboat 
men, while his tall ungraceful form and his peculiari- 
ties of manner and speech made him one of the most 
familiar figures in his neighborhood, and will serve 
to keep the memory of him fresh for a long time to 
come. 

His connection with Grace Church was close for 
about forty years, and during much of that time he 
was one of its regular communicants and steady sup- 
porters. He was a warm friend of the rector, whom 
he always greeted with kind words and received 
in his home with a cordial welcome. A fuller sketch 
of his life will be found elsewhere in this book. 

Bishop Whitehead made his annual visitation to 
the congregation on the evening of the 15th of March, 
the fifth Wednesday in Lent, and administered the 
rite of confirmation. During this visit, accompanied, 
by the rector, he called on Mrs. Mary B. McMillin, 
the widow of the late John S. McMillin, who had 
been buried only the day before, to condole with her 
and her family in their sudden bereavement. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. (i 


The festival of Easter, which came this year on 
April 2, was invested with more than usual interest 
for the rector, as it was the twenty-fifth anniversary 
of his rectorship of Grace Church. The day was clear 
and cool, with a touch of dawning spring; the con- 
gregation which assembled for worship was large, 
devout and sympathetic; the altar and font of the 
church had been decorated by loving hands with 
beautiful plants and flowers; the music by the vested 
choir of twelve boys and four men, under the direction 
of Miss Taylor, was bright and appropriate to the 
high festival, and everything seemed to combine to 
make the day joyous and comforting to rector and 
people. The glad thoughts of the risen Christ which 
filled the hearts of all as they joined in the beautiful 
service were intensified in the mind of the rector by 
the thought of God’s goodness to him through all 
the twenty-five years in which he had ministered to 
his people, and also by the additional thought that 
he still possessed their love and confidence. At the 
same time, however, there was a sad strain in his re- 
flections, awakened by the many changes which these 
years had brought. Only a few of those to whom he 
had first ministered were still left. One by one God 
had called His servants of this household to their ac- 
count, diminishing the number here in the Church 
Militant, but increasing the Church’s treasures in 
the land of the departed, swelling the number of the 
““Blessed.”’ 


‘For these Thy saints who from their labor rest, 
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, 
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blest.”’ 

In the spring of this year the church building was 
painted on the exterior, the funds for this purpose 
having been raised chiefly by a lawn féte gotten up 
by Mrs. Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., with the assistance 
of the ladies of the congregation. A little later a new 
roof was added, thus putting the exterior of the church 
in thorough repair. 

The church was closed during July and August, of 
this year, owing to the absence of the rector, who 
went with his wife to the Columbian Exposition in 
Chicago, and then on to Denver and through the 
Rocky Mountains to Salt Lake City. This trip was 
the means of much pleasure and recreation to the 


72 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


rector and his wife, having given them the oppor- 
tunity of seeing the achievements and triumhps of art 
and manufacture in that wonderful Exposition and 
the beauty and grandeur of nature in the plains and 
mountains. 

While the rector was on his vacation, as above 
stated, acongregational meeting was held in July, 
which was largely attended, and at which the needs 
of the church were fully discussed. A fund of about 
$400 was subscribed to pay off some debts and to 
make some needed improvements. Mr. Alfred Mar- 
land, the senior warden, presided, and Mr. Melville 
L. Stout acted as secretary; and under the leadership 
of Mr. John C. Shaler, Mr. Kirk Q. Bigham and Mr. 
George A. Johnson, the promoters of the meeting, 
successfully accomplished the purpose for which it 
was called. 

On Thursday, November 2, at 8 o'clock P. M., a 
meeting was held in the schoolroom of the church 
for the purpose of organizing a guild of the younger 
men and women of the congregation, whose aim 
should be to aid in all church work, to promote mu- 
tual improvement among the members by the study 
of Church history and literature, and to give op- 
portunities of social intercourse and entertainment. 

Public notice was given, and at the time appointed 
about 30 persons attended the meeting. The rector 
presided and gave his assistance in forming the or- 
ganization. The name ‘‘Coster Guild’’ was adopted 
as a compliment to the rector, and considerable prog- 
ress was made at this meeting in adopting a consti- 
tution and rules of order for the government of the 
association. A second meeting was held on the fol- 
lowing Thursday (November 9), at the same hour 
and place, with the rector in the chair, when the or- 
ganization of the guild was fully completed and the 
following officers were elected: President, Percy 
C. Whaley; vice presidents, Lottie Marland and Ar- 
della Armstrong; secretary, Ernest Marland; treas- 
urer, Samuel Kenah. 

The guild was formed with the hope that it would 
give material aid in all plans for promoting the in- 
terests of the church, and that it would also take 
steps in the near future to raise gradually a 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 73 


fund for building a guild house on the rear part of 
the church lot, a necessary adjunct to the successful 
prosecution of the guild’s work. 

The guild soon after its organization appointed a 
committee, consisting of Ernest Marland and Percy 
C. Whaley, to make arrangements for a course 
of lectures to be delivered monthly in the school- 
room of the church during the winter and 
spring of 1893-’94. They provided the following 
course, which was successfully given as arranged in 
the programme: 

December 7, 1893, Rev. George Hodges, D. D.— 
“‘Pittsburgh’s industries ”’ 

January 10 1894, Rev. Marisson Byllesby— 
“Church music.” 

The Rev. Mr. Byllesby was unable to keep his ap- 
pointment through illness, and the Rev. E. A. Angel 
kindly took his place and delivered a very entertain- 
ing lecture on “The art of putting things.” 

February 7, 1894, Rev. William R. Mackay— 
““The good old times.”’ 

March 6, 1894, Rev. John Crocker White, D. D.— 
“The Scandinavian reformation.”’ 

April 11, 1894, Rev. Alfred Arundel—‘‘The com- 
ing man.” 

May 2, 1894, Rt. Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead, D. 
D.—‘‘ Thomas a Becket.” 

June 6, 1894, Rev. Robert John Coster—‘‘The 
English Reformation.’ 

We record here the grateful thanks of the rector 
and the guild to the reverend gentlemen whose great 
kindness rendered it possible for the congregation 
to enjoy the entertainment and instruction which 
these lectures afforded. 

During the fall of 1893 the rector,wishing to awaken 
among his people an increased interest in missions 
and to inform them more fully in regard to what the 
Church is doing for the spread of the gospel at home 
and abroad, delivered four addresses as follows: 

Sunday evening, October 29, 1893—‘‘ Missionary 
work in Japan and China; its importance and its 
possibilities.”’ 

Sunday evening, November 5, 1893—“‘‘Missionary 
work in Africa; the extent of the country; the vast 
heathen population; their probable influence upon 


74 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


the future of the continent, and what is being done 
to protect them from slave-traders and to convert 
them to Christianity.” 

Sunday evening, November 12, 1893—‘‘ Missions 
in our Western territory; their importance to our 
country and our church.”’ 

Sunday evening, November 19, 1893—“‘ Missions 
among the negroes of the South; their importation 
to this country as slaves; the wrongs inflicted upon 
them by slavery, and our duty as Christian people 
to give them the Gospel and to educate them.” 


CHRISTMAS, 1893. 


Christmas, as usual, brought with it special ser- 
vices and festivities, which relieved somewhat the 
dullness caused by the general depression in all 
branches of business. It came on Monday, a cold, 
damp and disagreeable day. Service was held at 
10 o'clock A. M., but only a small congregation as- 
sembled numbering about 45. The church was 
prettily dressed with evergreens and flowers, pre- 
senting a festal and cheering appearance in keeping 
with the day. The vested choir was present and 
the service was beautifully and heartily rendered. 
The Holy Communion was administered, 16 persons 
partaking. 

After the service the rector and choir assembled 
in the rear of the church and had a good photograph 
taken of the group before hastening home to their 
Christmas dinner. The photographer, Mr. Hep- 
penstall, also took an excellent picture of the interior 
of the church, for distribution among the members of 
the congregation. 

Thursday, December 28, Holy Innocents Day, 
the usual festival for the Sunday School was held, 
at 7:30 P. M. The attendance was very large. The 
rector held a short service, made an address and read 
Phillips Brook’s ‘‘Christmas Carol.’’ The children 
sang their carols and Messrs. William Groves, John 
Boyce and Samuel Kenah rendered ‘‘We three Kings 
of Orient are,’’ the choir and Sunday school joining 
in the chorus. 

Presents of books and candy to the children and 
small sums of money to the boys of the choir brought 
the festivities to a close and sent the young folks to 
their homes rejoicing. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 75 


On the next evening, Friday December 29, the 
festival of the Mission School on Duquesne Heights 
was held in Grandview Hall. The rector was present, 
held a short service and addressed the children. 
About 40 children were present, who greatly enjoyed 
the festivities and varied the entertainment by sing- 
ing carols and giving recitations, under the direction 
of Mrs. E. C. Purkey and Miss Harriett Lowe. 


The children gave the rector great pleasure by 
presenting to him, as a token of their affection 
and good wishes, a beautiful Japanese silk muffler for 
a Christmas gift. 


The year 1893 was a disastrous one financially: 
There was great depression in all branches of busi™ 
ness and thousands of persons were thrown out of 
work. The result was great suffering among the 
poor and great privation even among well-to-do 
workmen. Contributions of money and provisions 
were made by the churches on Mount Washington 
to relieve the suffering, and Grace Church appointed 
a committee to assist in the distribution and took 
its part in alleviating the distress. In the city large 
sums of money were subscribed and used to give 
work to the unemployed in improving the city parks. 
The distress was, therefore, not an unmitigated evil, 
as it called forth the liberality of the charitable for 
the relief of the destitute, and showed to this in- 
credulous age that mercy and kindness still exist 
and that human hearts are still moved by human 
suffering. 


The Lenten season of the spring of 1894 was used 
as a time for increased spiritual opportunities and 
obligations. Special services were held on Wednes- 
day evenings at 7:30 and Friday afternoons at 4 
o’clock. The rector met weekly a class of thirteen 
young people, and prepared them for confirmation. 
On Palm Sunday evening, March 18, the Bishop 
visited the parish and confirmed these candidates. 
The evening was fine, the church crowded and the 
service altogether an interesting and helpful one, 
while many strangers had the opportunity of hearing 
the Church’s service and learning something of her 
reverent mode of worship. 


76 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


New Hymnals and new Prayer Books, two of each, 
were placed in the chancel, for use in public worship, 
on February 18, 1894, the second Sunday in Lent. 
The money to purchase them was raised by Eliza- 
beth Torrence and Mary A. Whaley, two members 
of the Sunday School. They are fine editions of 
the Revised Prayer Book and the new Hymnal set 
forth by the General Convention of 1892, bound in 
black morocco, and they took the place of a set 
used since the reopening of the church in 1869, 
which had been supplied by the Sunday School 
class of that year taught by Mr. John C. Shaler. 
These old ones are stillin good condition after twenty- 
six years of use, and have been laid away in the 
vestry room to be preserved as mementos of the 
past. 

The next Sunday was Easter (March 25), a cold, 
cloudy day, threatening snow, and very disagreeable 
on account of the high wind prevailing. Yet not- 
withstanding the disagreeable weather, the rector 
was greatly pleased to see a large congregation as- 
sembled in church to join in the services of the great 
festival. Loving hearts, as expressive of their joy, 
had tastefully dressed the chancel with flowers and 
plants, whose beauty and fragrance harmonized with 
the glad thoughts of the hour, and the choir sharing 
the joy of the day, sang the Easter anthem and hymns 
with a spirit which filled the worshipers with as- 
surance of victory over sin and death; and the words 
of Hymn 121: 

“The strife is o’er, the battle done; 
The victory of life is won,” 
and those of Hymn 122, 
‘Jesus lives! thy terrors now 
Can no longer, Death, appall us.” 
fitly expressed the feelings of devout minds rejoicing 
in the risen Christ. 

The rector chose as the text for his sermon, ‘‘ Now 
is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first- 
fruits of them that slept. For since by man came 
death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” 
—I Corinthians xv, 20, 21, and dwelt specially upon 
the truth that we have the hope of immortal life 
only in the risen Christ. The Holy Communion was 
administered, 40 members of the congregation re- 
ceiving. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. He 


Some changes have taken place in the choir, which 
may be mentioned as a not unimportant part of the 
history of the church. Miss L. Taylor resigned the 
charge of the organ and choir on October 1, 1893, 
and was succeeded by Miss Shannon, who was elected 
as organist, Mr. William Groves consenting to act as 
choir director. She continued to serve very accept- 
ably until February 1, 1894, when she resigned and 
was succeeded by Melville L. Stout, who then took 
charge of the choir, resuming the position which he 
had formerly held for a number of years. He still 
continues to hold the position giving his services as 
a freewill offering toward the support of the public 
worship of the parish. 

The choir at Easter of this year (1894) we may 
here record, was composed of four men and twelve 
boys, their names being the following: 

Men—William Groves, Samuel Kenah, John Boyce, 
Fred Johnson. 

Boys—Fred Bowman, David Nease, Frank Glaize, 
Harry Needham, Adam Heisler, Joseph Needham, 
Herman Heisler, Edward Schmidt, Christ. Heinrick, 
William Smith, Harry Hetling, John Zelk. 

Organist and choirmaster—Melville L. Stout. 

Organ blower—Harry Butterfield. 

The passing of time is constantly bringing changes; 
men come and go, and things never continue in one 
stay. In these changes the parish has recently lost 
by removals several very helpful families. In the 
fall of the year 1893 Mrs. Mary B. McMillin, widow 
of the late John S. McMillin, closed her house on 
Grandview Avenue and moved with her children 
to California, thus severing a family connection with 
the parish which had existed for more than thirty 
years. 

At Easter of the year 1894 Dr. Orin W. Sadler 
sold his residence on Grandview Avenue and moved 
his family to Penn Avenue, in the city, terminating 
thereby a connection with the parish of nearly twelve 
years’ standing. The doctor’s removal was a great 
loss to the parish, on account of his intelligent and 
sympathetic interest in all its affairs, he having been 
a vestryman most of the time he was in the parish 
and having been an active promoter of all plans un- 
dertaken for futhering its interests. 


78 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Later in the year the parish lost another family, 
that of Mr. William Groves, which had been for some 
time closely identified with its work. Mr. Groves 
was for several years a very efficient and helpful 
member of the choir, and, owing to his genial manner 
and delicate tact, was a sort of leader in all musical 
and social entertainments. At the time of the re- 
moval of his family from the parish he, as a vestry- 
man and as the director of the choir, was rendering 
valuable services to the church; and all regretted 
that the exigencies of business required him to move 
down to Fifth Avenue, and thus to sever his con- 
nection with the parish. 

Whitsunday came this year May 13, and was a 
clear, cool and beautiful day. A congregation of 
a little over one hundred assembled for worship. 
The rector preached and administered the Holy Com- 
munion. The font and altar were beautifully dressed 
with dogwood blossoms gathered in Mrs. Bigham’s 
woods. In the evening at 7:30 was held the usual 
annual service for the Sunday School. The church 
was crowded with an interesting audience. After 
evening prayer the rector made an address and cate- 
chised the children of the Sunday School. He urged 
upon the attention of the teachers and the congrega- 
tion the fact that the most important part of the work 
of the Sunday School is that of teaching the children 
the Catechism, the instruction which the Church 
has prepared to be learned by all her little ones. The 
vested choir of four men and ten boys rendered the 
music for the day very acceptably. 

On June 6, at 8 P. M. the rector delivered the last 
lecture in the course arranged for by the Coster Guild. 
A good audience, nearly filling the schoolroom, as- 
sembled and gave close attention. The rector chose 
as his subject, ‘‘The English Reformation,’ and en- 
deavored to clear the subject of the popular miscon- 
ceptions which cluster around it, and to set forth its 
true significance, considered politically and religiously. 
He also emphasized the fact that the Roman Church 
is in a state of schism in England, inasmuch as the 
adherents of the papacy withdrew from the Church 
of England eleven years after Elizabeth came to the 
throne, and then only at the instigation of the Bishop 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 79 


of Rome, who, with audacious presumption and in- 
justice excommunicated Queen Elizabeth pretended 
to absolve her subjects from their allegience to their 
lawful sovereign, and to bestow her kingdom upon 
Phillip of Spain. The result was that the glaring 
injustice of the papacy toward Elizabeth and the 
futile attempt of Phillip to conquer her kingdom fired 
the English mind with an enthusiastic loyality for 
their sovereign and with a resolute determination to 
maintain their national independence that soon made 
England the foremost nation of Europe. At the 
close of the lecture the ladies served refreshments, 
and a pleasant hour was spent in social intercourse. 
This ended the course of lectures, and the members 
of the Guild had good reason to congratulate them- 
selves upon the success of their undertaking. 


The last service before the summer vacation was 
held on Sunday, July, 29. The rector spent a part 
of his vacation with his family at his summer cottage 
near Cresson, Pa, but most of the time he was in the 
city busy preparing to move the Bishop Bowman In- 
stitute from its old location on the corner of Penn 
Avenue and Fourth Street to its new quarters in the 
East End, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Dith- 
ridge Street. 


Services were resumed on Sunday, September 2, 
but the rector was not present at the first service, 
which was conducted by a lay reader, as he went by 
the Bishop’s appointment to Crafton to institute the 
Rev. Frank Steed, as rector of the Church of the 
Nativity. 

During the vacation the interior of the church was 
thoroughly renovated. The walls were tastefully 
decorated and the woodwork repainted. The work 
was done by Stulen & Stoughton, of the city, under 
the supervision of Mr. Stulen, who twenty-six years 
before, in the summer of 1868, had done the same work 
at the reopeningof the church after extensive additions 
and improvements. 

The church building was now in complete order, 
both on the exterior and the interior, and there could 
be no need of further repairs for some time to come. 

The services went on during the fall about as usual. 
On the first of October the rector took a severe cold, 


80 , A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


that for some days deprived him of his voice. In 
consequence he was unable to officiate on Sunday, 
October 7, and Mr. John C. Shaler read the service 
morning and evening and prevented the disappoint- 
ment of the congregation. The hoarseness continued 
for several weeks, during which time Mr. Shaler as- 
sisted the rector in the services by reading the lessons 
and sometimes the Litany also. 

Mr. G. P. Whaley, our Sunday School superintend- 
ent, resigned on the first of October (1894) and 
moved to Cumberland, Md. The rector and the 
school regretted very much to lose so faithful and 
efficient a worker as Mr. Whaley. He had charge of 
the school about two years and was successful in his 
management. Luckily, Mr. John C. Shaler was at 
this time in a position to resume charge of the Sunday 
School, and the work went on without any serious 
interruption. 

The annual meeting of the Mite Society was held 
on Tuesday, December 4, at 8 P. M., at the residence 
of Mrs. Harper, Grandview avenue and Bertha 
street. The following were present besides the rector: 
Mrs. Harper, Mrs. Whittier, Mrs. W. L. Bond, Mrs. 
Kenah, Miss Kenah, Mrs. J. C. Shaler, Miss Lillie 
Harper and Miss Eliza Bigham. The treasurer’s 
report showed that the Mite Society had raised during 
the year for church purposes the sum of $150.00 
Of this they expended the following amounts: 


DLTECh PAVING. oi oe he ea a ala $40 . 00 
Pasd ompiame | 330/20 iueecn. ee 50 00 
Sunday School expenses..............: 30.00 

Tora ht Oe aot or $120.00 


The officers for the year were: President, Mrs. 
Samuel Harper; vice president, Mrs. William L. 
Kenah; treasurer, Miss Eliza Bigham; secretary, Mrs. 
John C. Shaler. 

-The Mite Society has during the last twenty-five 
years been the most active and useful agency of the 
parish in carrying on its work. It was organized in 
1868 and has continued its work with greater or less 
activity down to the present. The first officers of the 
society were the following: President, Mrs. Maria 
L. Bigham; treasurer, Mrs. Mary B. McMillin; secre- 
tary, Mrs. Mary Thompson. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 81 


The first work that they engaged in was the raising 
of funds for completing the improvements on the 
church which had been begun in the fall of 1865, but 
were not finished until the summer of 1869. They 
next assisted in raising the money to put stained- 
glass windows in the church and they furnished a 
part of the money to pay for the pipe organ. They 
have twice carpeted the church, besides supplying 
it with cushions; they have assisted in getting the 
funds to keep the church insured, and also they have 
helped to keep it in good repair. They raised the 
funds for these purposes partly by subscriptions 
among themselves and partly by fairs, held twice in 
halls down in the city, but for the most part by fairs 
and entertainments given in the church schoolroom. 


On one occasion a Mother Goose entertainment, 
given under the management of Mrs. McMillin and 
Miss Ida Smith, assisted by Mrs. James Boggs, Mrs. 
Joshua Goldthorp, Mrs. Samuel Harper, Mr. E. H. 
Dermitt, Mr. Samuel Williams, Mr. Albert Y. Smith, 
Mr. Edwin Smith, and some others of the young peo- 
ple, was remarkably successful, as was also an enter- 
tainment of Living Statuary, given under the skilful 
directon of Mrs. M. Kirk. Besides this, it ought to be 
mentioned, that the district visiting committees and 
the teachers of the Sunday School have always been 
largely made up of members of the Mite Society. 


It is a matter of great regret that the books of the 
society are not at hand, that a full list of the mem- 
bers might be given and a list of the officers of the 
society at the different periods of its history, and also 
the amounts of money stated that they have raised 
in all these years for the support of the church. 


The flight of time brought again Christmas tide, 
with its usual services and festivities. Onthe Sunday 
before Christmas, 1894, after service, the rector made 
a visit to Mrs. Sarah S. Boggs, who was then very ill, 
having been confined to her bed for some months 
and at the time rapidly failing. He had prayers 
with her and spent some time at her bedside. Al- 
though it was evident to all her friends, as it was also 
to herself, that she would live but a short time, yet 
she was cheerful and self-forgetful, full of trust and 
hope, and anxious as ever to spare her friends trouble. 


82 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


The beauty of her character and the strength of her 
faith shone out strikingly under her affliction. No 
murmur or word of complaint escaped her; no im- 
patience or fretfulness was apparent. If a cry of 
pain escaped her, she would apologize for her weak- 
ness. She seemed to be waiting in peace the end 
that she knew was near. The rector left her, saddened 
by the sight of her suffering and rapid failure, but 
thanking God for the beauty of the patience and 
resignation of His faithful servant. For her there 
was “‘‘light in death’s dark eventide.”’ 


Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 1894, 
dawned upon us cold and clear. As the rector went 
to church, accompanied by his son Charles, who was 
home from College for the holidays, the streets, the 
shop windows and the passing throngs all gave signs 
of the joyful festival that was at hand. The church 
had been appropriately decorated by the Guild with 
plants andevergreens. The service began at 10 0’clock 
A. M., with about forty persons in attendance. The 
vested choir of seven boys and four men were present 
and led the singing, assisted by six young women, 
who sat in the front pew beside the choir. The service 
was very hearty and the music good, making the 
rector regret that a larger congregation were not 
present to share in the beautiful service. After the 
sermon the Holy Communion was administered, 
when 22 persons communed. 

The Mission Sunday School on Duquesne Heights 
held its Christmas festival on Thursday, December 
27, at 4 o’clock P. M. The rector was present and 
the Bishop, by special request, came up to meet the 
Sunday School. Mr. Shaler, the superintendent, 
and his corps of assitants, Mrs. W. L. Bond, Mrs. 
E. Purkey, Mrs. W. P. Linhart, Mrs. Lowe, Miss Lowe 
and Miss Richard, were also present directing matters. 
After a short service by the rector and a few words 
by him to the children, the Bishop made an address 
to the Sunday School, setting forth the meaning of 
Christmas and the cause of our rejoicing at this holy 
season, when we thank God for the “gift of His dear 
Son.”’ 

The school surprised the Bishop, the rector and 
the superintendent by giving to each, as a Christmas 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 83 


present, a handsome silk umbrella. The rector acted 
as spokesman in conveying their present to the Bishop 
and the Bishop with a few facetious words handed 
their presents to the rector and the superintendent. 

About 75 children were present, and they sang the 
carols and Christmas hymns with great earnestness. 
About ten inches of snow lay upon the ground and 
t heweather was intensely cold, yet this neither kept 
the children at home nor interfered with their en- 
joyment. 

The next day, Friday, December 28, Holy Inno- 
cents Day, the parish Sunday School had its festival, 
at 7:30 P. M., in the schoolroom of the church. The 
rector used a few collects as an opening, and then ad- 
dressed the children on the meaning of Christmas and 
Holy Innocents Day—love and sacrifice, the twin 
children of faith and obedience. There were about 
120 children present, and, with their teachers and 
friends, they entered heartily into the spirit of the 
occasion. They sang their carols with great spirit, 
aided by the choir, and, after having received pres- 
ents of books and candy, at 9 o’clock P. M. they went 
home rejoicing. 

The new year 1895 opened cold and clear, and the 
weather for some weeks was intensely severe; as 
severe, indeed, as was ever felt in Pittsburgh. About 
February 7 the cold increased until the thermometer 
fell 10° below zero, causing great suffering. The 
water pipes and gas pipes froze, leaving many peo- 
ple without heat or water and adding greatly to the 
discomfort of the severe weather. 

Lent began this year Wednesday, February 27, 
and with it the extra services provided for the season 
and the work of preparing a class for confirmation. 
Service was held every Wednesday at 7:30 P. M. and 
every Friday at 4 P. M. during the season. The 
rector met the male members of his confirmation 
class on Wednesday evenings after service, and the 
girls of the class on Friday afternoon, immediately 
after evening prayer. 

An interesting feature in the instruction of the 
class was the fact that one of the members, the daugh- 
ter of Mr. E. H. Dermitt, living on Stanton Avenue, 
East End, came regularly to Grace Church to attend 


84 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


the class. Her father and mother and older sister 
had all been confirmed under the pastorship of the 
tector (they having been at that time members of 
the parish), and their daughter Lillian, wished also 
to be instructed and presented for confirmation by 
the same rector, and to be confirmed in the same 
church; and the rector was much pleased that her 
wish could be gratified. 


The vested choir volunteered to attend the Wed- 
nesday evening Lenten services, and they came regu- 
larly every evening, and by their presence added 
much to the beauty and spirit of the services and won 
the thanks of the rector and congregation for their 
faithfulness. 


The Friday afternoon services were attended regu- 
larly by the ‘Little Helpers,’’ a number of small girls 
of the Sunday School, who sat in the choir and, under 
the direction of Miss Elizabeth Kenah,sang the hymns. 
They not only sang the hymns very sweetly, but 
by their presence added a pleasing feature to the . 
Lenten services, and learned the lesson of aiding by 
personal service in maintaining and beautifying the 
worship of the Lord’s house. 

This society of small girls was organized on May 
28. 1894, under the direction and government of Miss 
Kenah and Miss Ida Newell. They are much in- 
terested in parish work, and by the assistance of 
their officers have given very material aid during the 
past year in meeting certain pressing obligations of 
the parish. It: may here be mentioned that on 
Easter Sunday morning, while the rector was visiting 
the Sunday School, they gave him a pleasant surprise. 
They handed him an envelope, and when he opened 
it, as they requested, he found therein the sum of 
$50, a present from the society to the rector. It 
need hardly be said that the rector was not only 
surprised by this act, but that he was deeply touched 
by the good will of his young friends which prompted 
this kindness. : 

On Palm Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 P. M., the Bishop 
made his annual visitation to the parish, preached 
the sermon at the service and administered the rite 
of confirmation to a class of 13 young people. Among 
those confirmed was Miss Agnes McRae, a teacher 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH, 85 


in the Bishop Bowman Institute, of which school 
the rector is principal, and Miss Lillian Dermitt, a 
daughter (as aforesaid) of Mr. E. H. Dermitt, who 
was formerly a member of the congregation and a 
vestryman, but now living in Stanton avenue, in the 
East End. The church was crowded with people, 
and there was among them a large number of chil- 
dren, a fact which attracted the attention of the 
Bishop. There is usually a goodly number of children 
present at the services, the rector having constantly 
made it a rule to encourage the children to attend pub- 
lic worship. He often tells them in the Sunday School 
that if on any day they cannot attend both Sunday 
School and service, he would greatly prefer that they 
attend the service. A habit thus formed will go with 
them through life. The practice of making attend- 
ance at Sunday School a substitute for public wor- 
ship is, we fear, likely to form a generation of non- 
churchgoers; consequently, parents and the clergy 
should use all their influence to discourage the prac- 
tice. 


The festival of Easter came this year (1895) on 
April the 14th, and with it the twenty-seventh an- 
niversary of the rector’s connection with the parish. 
The solemn joy of the high festival was, therefore, 
intensified in the rector’s mind by thoughts of past 
service and by gratitude for present mercies. The 
day was cool and cloudy, but a large congregation 
gathered to join in the worship. The chancel had 
been very tastefully dressed by the members of the 
Coster Guild with plants and flowers, which added 
much to the festal appearance of the church and highly 
gratified the congregation and the rector, who regard 
this as a fitting method of symbolizing the great 
truth of the Resurrection which the Church on this 
day commemorates, and as a lively expression of 
the gladness which at this time fills the hearts of the 
faithful. 

The vested choir of 16 boys and 4 men had 
made careful preparation for the service, and rendered 
the music with great credit to themselves and great 
appropriateness to the occasion. The choir remained 
and assisted in the Communion service at which 36 
persons communed. 


86 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


The Easter tide rejoicings of the congregation 
were this year tinged with an undertone of sadness, 
owing to the very recent death of two aged and much 
respected members of the parish. 


Mrs. Sarah Shaw Boggs, relict of the late Samuel 
Boggs, of Boggs avenue, after a long and painful 
illness, was laid to rest on Saturday, March 23, in 
Allegheny Cemetery, beside the remains of her hus- 
band. For more than two years she was a great 
sufferer, her strong constitution steadily yielding to 
encroaching disease, and yet she bore her suffering 
with great patience and resignation, seeming in her 
self-forgetfulness anxious to suppress signs of her 
suffering, lest she should give her friends trouble. 
The loving care and watchful attention of her de- 
voted sisters, Miss Emma Bennet and Mrs. Harrison, 
did all that human aid could do for her relief, but 
nothing could stay the progress of her disease. At 
last, on Thursday, March 21, death came to her re- 
lief, and she passed away in faith and hope. 


Mrs. Boggs was a woman of noble character, gen- 
erous in disposition and faithful in every relation 
in life. She was born of church parents, was reared 
under the teachings of the Church, and was all her 
life a devout and faithful communicant, loving her 
church and taking her share in all the efforts made to 
promote its interests in the community. In her will 
she left the sum of $100 to Grace Church as an ad- 
dition to its Endowment Fund. (See obituary under 
the list of deaths.) 


Two weeks later, April 6, 1895, another noble wo- 
man, Mrs. Adeline Matilda Whittier, widow of the 
late Isaac Whittier, and mother of Mrs. Samuel 
Harper, was taken from our midst, in the 83d year 
of her age. She and her husband were both born in 
New Hampshire, but they moved to Pittsburgh in 
1836 and spent here the rest of their lives. They were 
for many years members of St. Andrew’s Church, 
Ninth street, where they regularly attended as long 
as Mr. Whittier lived. With increasing age Mrs. 
Whittier found the walk from Grandview avenue to 
Ninth street too great for her, and she began to at- 
tend Grace Church, and for the last twelve years of 
her life was a regular communicant and an active 
sharer in all the work of the parish. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 87 


Her interest in church affairs, and her regularity 
in attending public worship were remarkable for 
one of her age, as she rarely let anything except sick- 
ness or extremely inclement weather keep her from 
the Sunday morning service and the monthly com- 
munion. 

Mrs. Whittier indeed was a woman of sterling 
worth, faithful and reliable in all things. So true 
was she in speech and action, so sincere in her friend- 
ships, that those who once knew her and trusted her, 
remained her firm friends to the end. The high re- 
spect which she had won in this community was 
markedly shown on her eightieth birthday (Friday, 
September 16, 1892), when people came to her home 
on Mount Washington, from all parts of the city to 
pay their respects and to offer their congratulations. 
Those who saw her on that day will remember how 
bright and cheerful she was. The pleasing cordial- 
ity, the frank good nature and the welcoming smile 
which had marked her earlier,days were still present 
in the woman of eighty years. It was a great pleas- 
ure to the rector on that day to be among those who 
could claim her friendship and confidence and offer 
to her his heartiest congratulations. 

Her presence in her family was a benediction to 
the household. Surrounded by her grandchildren, 
who lavished upon her the affection and attention 
which youth feels for venerated age, she grew old, 
cheered by the smiles and love of those dear to her. 
There is a very interesting picture in the possession 
of her daughter, Mrs. Harper, which includes four 
generations of her family—the aged Mrs. Whittier; 
her daughter, Mrs. Samuel Harper; her grand-daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Stanley Neely, and her great-grandson, 
Master Robert Bonner Neely. 

Mrs. Whittier retained to a marked degree her in- 
terest in life and her cheerfulness and contentment in 
her declining days. The secret of this is to be found 
in the fact that she had a clear and abiding faith in 
God as her Heavenly Father. She trusted in Him 
through Christ, and in that trust found rest and 
peace. “‘Blessed are all they who trust in the Lord.” 


88 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
PUBLIC SCHOOLHOUSE. 


The spirit of improvement which has been extend- 
ing over Mount Washington for some years led, in 
the year 1889, to the erection of a large brick school- 
house on the corner of Bertha and Sycamore streets 
opposite to the church. 

The rector and congregation were somewhat anx- 
ious when they first learned that a public school was 
to stand so near to the church. Time, however, has 
shown that this anxiety was groundless, as the school 
children have never caused the congregation any 
annoyance. Moreover, the building was tastefully 
designed and has been surrounded by a high iron 
fence, and so the whole structure is quite a pleasing 
improvement. 

PAVING THE STREETS. 


For some years after the present rector began to 
officiate in Grace Church there were no paved streets 
on Mount Washington, and in consequence the streets 
were often almost impassable in winter and spring, 
owing to the depth of the mud. The rector several 
times in the spring of the year saw in those days of 
no pavements wagons loaded with furniture standing 
on Grandview avenue, sunk to the hubs in the mud, and 
abandoned by driver and team. 

First Grandview avenue was paved, in the summer 
and fall of 1891, with angular blocks, from the Mon- 
ongahela Incline Plane to the Duquesne Incline Plane, 
a distance of about a mile, and the sidewalks were 
laid in broad flagstones, the work being finished the 
first of November. This street, running along the 
bluff at an elevation of about 400 feet above the 
river, makes one of the finest promenades in the city. 

The improvement in Grandview avenue was soon 
followed by the paving of other streets. In the 
spring of 1892 Bertha street was paved, the work 
being finished May 25; and in the fall of 1894 Syca- 
more street was sewered and paved, the work being 
finished January 18, 1895. 

The church lot is situated on the southeast corner 
of these two streets, Bertha and Sycamore, fronting 
on the first 80 feet and extending along the second 
200 feet. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 89 


The church’s share of the cost of this work was as 
follows: 
BERTHA STREET. 


Gracie arid MaAvine: 2...) si aiettie ie, ea \p $500.00 
Miaectone sidewalk, ete. 04082. ees 100.00 
SYCAMORE STREET. 

SCENE SRT an il AR AER oy HH ie 375.00 
Sera an AVI gs. sy Salata aia = 550.00 
Plaestatie’sidewalie. ee a ee sig sos 200.00 
Reeroaneeharen Obi. so) 'scn i. ssa ale as 150.00 
eS SINCE): i Ghar a Mhute elma teua ayer ad ah ee oil 125.00 

otal... fh i Hep le . $2,000.00 


The sum of 82, 000 was a very ae tax on the 
parish, which is financially weak; but the work, in 
every way desirable, was a great improvement to the 
church property, and indeed to the whole neighbor- 
hood. 

During the year 1896 the life of the parish went 
on about as usual. Its financial obligations were 
met with some difficulty, but every part of the parish 
work was continued with a fair amount of success. 
The service on Whitsunday for the Sunday School 
was unusually interesting. About 200 children, with 
their teachers and friends, were present, completely 
filling the church. At 3 P. M. a short service was 
said by the rector, and several hymns were very 
spiritedly sung by the children assisted by the choir, 
and next followed the catechising of the school, 
when the rector and superintendent were greatly 
encouraged by the ready and intelligent answers of 
the children. 

The aim of the teaching in our Sunday School 
should always be to make the children of the parish 
intelligent churchmen and churchwomen, and this we 
think can best be done by a thorough study of the 
Catechism and the Prayer Book; hence the constant 
study of the one and the systematic use of the other 
has always been the practice in Grace Church Sunday 
School. 

The opening of the year 1897 was a sad time in 
the parish, as it brought with it the loss of its most 
active and most useful layman. John C. Shaler, a 
vestryman and warden of the parish, a man in the 


90 } A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


prime of life, who was full of plans for furthering the 
Master’s work on Mount Washington, died, after a 
short illness, on Friday, January 22, 1897. He was, 
moreover, superintendent of the Sunday School, and 
also the friend and adviser of the rector. He had 
been so fully identified with the life and work ~ 
of the parish for more than forty years that it seemed 
that it would be impossible to fill the place left vacant 
by his death. When the School met on the first 
Sunday after his death we could not proceed 
with the regular session, as pupils and teachers 
were in tears, and when the rector attempted to ad- 
dress the children his feelings overcame him, and he 
was forced to desist. Archdeacon Cole had come up 
to Grace Church that Sunday morning to speak to 
the children and the congregation on diocesan mis- 
sions, but he saw the inopportuneness of the time and 
wisely deferred the matter. He, however, remained 
at the service and preached, greatly to the relief of 
the rector under the trying circumstances. The 
funeral service was held in the church Sunday after- 
noon, and the interment took place in the Allegheny 
Cemetery, his fellow-vestrymen and friends bearing 
his remains to their last last resting place, while the 
snow, which covered the fields and the grave with 
spotless white, typefied, we like to believe, the purity 
and blamelessness of his irreproachable life. Mr. 
Shaler’s zeal in Church work and his devout, con- 
sistent life made him a typical churchman, whose 
stimulating influence was felt in the whole parish. 

There was urgent need to find at once some one 
to take his place as superintendent of the Sunday 
School. After some hesitation on his part, Harry W. 
Neely was induced to accept the position, and, loy- 
ally assisted by rector and teachers, he successfully 
kept up the work. 

At Easter of this year (1897) an altar cross, a pair 
of altar vases and an altar rack, all of brass, were 
presented to the church as memorials of Mr. Shaler, 
thus perpetuating his memory and also beautifying 
the church which he loved so much, and for which 
he labored in love so long and faithfully. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 91 


THE RECTOR’S THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY 
(EASTER, 1898). 


An event of unusual interest in the history of the 
parish which marked the year 1898 was the rector’s 
completion of his thirtieth year of service. He be- 
gan his rectorship April 5, 1868, and from that time 
has continued as rector of Grace Church. Indeed, 
it may be here properly mentioned that the rector 
has never had any other parish; that the short 
period of his diaconate, spent at the college of St. 
James, and the first two years of his priesthood,were 
given chiefly to educational work, he only officiating 
for different clergymen as occasion offered. Prac- 
tically, therefore, his whole ministry has been given 
to Grace Church. The vestry and congregation 
wished to mark this anniversary with some special 
ceremonies; consequently arrangements were made 
for an anniversary service on Easter Sunday evening, 
April 10, and invitations were sent out for a re- 
ception to the rector and his wife for the following 
Thursday evening (April 14). 

At the Sunday evening service a large congregation 
was present and the rector delivered a special dis- 
course, taking as his text Psalm xxviii, 8: ‘The 
Lord is my strength, and He is the wholesome de- 
fense of His anointed.’’ After a brief exposition 
of the teaching and the encouragement for God’s 
people embodied in the text, the rector gave a résumé 
of the facts of his rectorship recorded in this history. 
Omitting much of the historical portions, a few ex- 
tracts may here be given, in which he said: 

“All the years that I have been with you I have 
tried to teach you these three things, faith in God, 
trust in His providence, and submission to His will; 
for in these things are to be attained the beauty of 
Christian living and the perfection of Christian char- 
acter. In a heart where these three principles of 
religion are grounded there will be no skepticism to 
deaden its devotion; no despondency to paralyze its 
powers; no spiritual pride to dwarf its affections; but 
faith will reign, and hope prevail, and love will bloom, 
and the peaceful soul will harmoniously develop in- 
to the likeness of Christ, and thus become fit for the 
Master’s use and presence when called from earth 


92 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


to.the mansions of rest. If a goodly number of our 
people have attained this high spirituality in the past; 
if a fair proportion of those who are serving our Lord 
here together in the present shall realize the blessed- 
ness of God’s faithful people, then my labor among 
you and our united efforts for the glory of God’s 
kingdom will not have been in vain. 


“Ten years ago occurred the twentieth anniversary 
of my rectorship, and at the reception then tendered 
to the rector and his wife the tokens of affection and 
esteem received by both have since remained the 
most treasured recollection in the history of his pas- 
torate. The presence on that occasion of so many 
friends, the warm greetings given, the kind words 
spoken, and the general expressions of love and con- 
fidence can never be forgotten. * * * 


““As the years have gone by the life of the parish 
has flowed on with the usual fluctuations and fric- 
tions incident to all affairs conducted by men and 
women subject to the prejudices and infirmities of 
human nature. Your rector, however, thinks him- 
self fortunate that his work has been among people 
who gave him their love and confidence. That he 
. has been permitted to work here among you for 
thirty years, retaining that love and confidence, is 
a mark of Divine favor for which he is deeply grateful. 

“But year after year change has been constantly 
going on in the personnel of the congregation by 
deaths, by removals, by additions; and yet a few of 
the older members who first welcomed your rector 
to the parish are still left to encourage him with 
their confidence and sympathy. But, alas! they are 
few. One after another of the earlier well-known 
forms and faces have disappeared. When your rec- 
tor now casts his eye over the congregation he sees 
here and there the place of an old friend vacant 
or filled by another. A glance down the pages of 
the Parish Register will show how many of the former 
well-known members of the parish have been called 
away. It will interest you, I know, to recall a few 
of them: 

‘‘Capt. Thomas H. Golding, his mother, his wife 
and his daughter Isabelle—a whole family gone. 
John Pare and his wife—both living beyond the al- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 93 


lotted age of man. George T. Lowen and his wife, 
aged and true. Mrs. Sarah Reese, mother of Mrs. 
Mary E. Torrence, dying full of faith and hope at the 
age of 87. Mrs. Maria Adams, dying at the age of 
70 and leaving us a legacy of fifty dollars, the be- 
ginning of our endowment fund. Mrs. Ruth Reed, 
wife of Samuel G. Reed, a gentle, beautiful character. 
- Miss Margaret Goehring, a great sufferer, patient 
to the end, followed a few years later by her father 
and mother. Squire Edward Bratt and his wife, 
both long faithful and devout worshipers here 
among us, dying full of faith in a ripe old age. 
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham, the founders of the 
parish and its supporters to the end, dying in the 
faith and leaving behind them this church to per- 
petuate their memory. Mrs. Sarah Goldthorp and 
her daughter, Mary Goldthorp Steele, both faithful 
workers in the Mite Society, Thomas Jackson, long 
a member of St. Andrew’s Church, but for many 
years a faithful teacher in our Sunday School, dying 
in peace, aged 81 years. Edith N. Ferguson, a gentle, 
devout soul, now resting in paradise. Mrs. Elizabeth 
A. Smithson, a great sufferer, who now sleeps in 
peace. Capt. John S. McMillin, for more than thirty 
years a member of this church, and whose tragic 
death you will remember, a man of marked traits of 
character and great goodness of heart. For him 
“Quick did end the battle sore; 
Now his pilgrimage is o’er. 
Grant him peace forevermore, 
We beseech Thee, Jesus.” 
Mrs. Sarah A. Boggs, a noble Christian woman. Mrs. 
Adaline M. Whittier, a mother in Israel, gentle and 
faithful, falling asleep aged 83 years. John C. Shaler, 
Jr., a devout, loyal churchman, one of the rector’s 
most faithful helpers up to the day of hisdeath. Mrs. 
Mary Thompson, daughter of Squire Bratt, patient 
in suffering, faithful unto to death. 
“When the toil is over, 
Then come rest and peace.”’ 

“There are persons mentioned here in this list 
whose faith and devotion would be a credit to any 
parish and whose names it would be an honor to 
inscribe upon the diptychs of any church. 


94 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


“For these Thy saints who from their labor rest, 
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, 
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. 


“Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; 
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; 
Thou in the darkness drear the one true Light. 


‘May we, thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, 

Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, 

And win, with them, the victor’s crown of gold.’ 

“Here figures might be added giving the baptisms, 
confirmations, burials, the services, the offerings of 
the thirty years that we have officiated for you, but 
numbers can never measure spiritual things, nor 
estimate the value of the Church’s ministrations to 
her people; therefore we forbear, and bid you turn 
your thoughts for a few moments in another direction. 
Everything that we do in God’s service must be done 
in Christ’s name, and in reliance upon His grace. 
‘Paul may plant and Apollos water, but God giveth 
the increase.’ If we forget this, and think that we 
ourselves can make the Church grow and that we 
can bring souls to Christ, our work will surely come 
to nought. It is Christ alone that can give effect 
to our services, when they are done in humble faith 
in Him and with earnest prayer for His blessing. 

‘“Whatever, then, we have done in the thirty years 
just ended for the promotion of our own spiritual 
welfare and for the extension of Christ’s kingdom in 
the world, ‘to God’s Holy Name be the praise.’ 

“For all that might have been done in our midst 
for Christ and His people, but has not been done 
in consequence of our lack of faith and zeal, we 
pray ‘Lord pardon our deficiencies.’ * * * 

‘“Pastor and people stand together in the matter 
of accountability. When in the last day I shall be 
called before the Just Judge to give an account for 
the souls that were intrusted to my care, woe is me 
if I have been unfaithful. When you, his people, 
- shall stand before Him to give an account of your 
stewardship, if you have been unfaithful to your 
Lord and neglectful of your sacred privileges as mem- 
bers of His Church, your condemnation will be equally 
certain. 

‘“May God in His mercy strengthen ts both with 
might to rise to our high calling of God in Christ 
Jesus our Lord, that we may be true and faithful 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 95 


unto the end, and at last hear those life-giving words 
“Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord.’”’ 

On the following Thursday, April 14, at 8 P. M., a 
large reception was held in the schoolroom of the 
church in honor of the rector and his wife. The 
Bishop was present and made a felicitous address of 
congratulation. The rector also made an address, 
speaking of‘his labor in the parish and of the changes 
that the years had brought to him and his work. 
Some of the city clergy were present to offer their 
congratulatious and good wishes, as were also the 
Rev. Dr. McClelland, pastor of the Mount Washing- 
ton Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Mr. Graham, 
pastor of the Mount Washington Methodist Episco- 
pal Church; the Rev. P. S. Jennings, pastor of the 
Mount Pisgah Presbyterian Church,and Father O’Con- 
nor, rector of St. Mary’s of the Mount. 

The evening was passed in pleasant social inter- 
course, and Dr. and Mrs. Coster were cheered by 
many expressions of confidence and good will spoken 
by parishoners and friends. 


Tue CHurcH LIGHTED Wi1TH Gas. 


During the summer vacation the vestry contracted 
for putting up gas fixtures for lighting the church. 
The work was completed in time for the opening 
of the services in the beginning of September, and 
gaslight was used for the first time on Sunday even- 
ing, September 11, 1898. The fixtures are very 
beautiful and light the church brilliantly, making a 
strong contrast with the dim oil lamps which had 
been used for so many years—indeed ever since the 
church was built, in 1853. Grace Church is indebted 
to the generosity of the rector and vestry of Trinity 
Church for these beautiful fixtures. They were 
formerly used in lighting Trinity, but were discarded 
a few years ago, when electricity was introduced 
there, and at the suggestion of Mr. William Halpin 
they were presented to Grace Church, and, now that 
they have been refinished and properly put up, they 
give abundant light and are a beautiful ornament to 
the church. 


96 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Tue DeEatH oF THomas F. ASHFORD, SR. 


At the opening of the year 1899 the parish suffered 
the loss of one of its very active vestrymen, Thomas 
F. Ashford, Sr., who died of pnuemonia Sunday, 
January 15, after a brief illness. 

Mr. Ashford moved to Mount Washington in 1883, 
and at once he and his family became members of 
Grace Church. He was a vestryman for nine years 
and was senior warden at the time of his death. 
He was a liberal man and contributed freely to all 
the needs of the parish. English by birth and edu- 
cation, he had a strong love for the church of his 
childhood and was a regular attendant upon public 
worship. He was a genial, generous man, and his 
goodness and generosity won for him many warm 
friends. 

During the summer of this year (1899) it was 
found necessary to put many repairs upon the church. 
It is a frame structure,built in 1853, and consequently, 
from the wear and tear of time, it needed a thorough 
overhauling. The frame, on examination, was found 
to be sound, so the whole exterior was newly weather- 
boarded and painted, and the interior was painted 
and varnished and the walls tastefully frescoed. 


When, therefore, the church was again opened, in - 


in September, for divine service, it was in complete 
order and presented a very neat and pleasing ap- 
pearance. The work cost a little over a thousand 
dollars, but it was money well spent, as the building 
was thereby made almost like a new church and will 
last at least twenty years more. 

The year 1900 in its general features was much 
like the preceding ones. The rector’s confirmation 
class, which was composed of five adults and seven 
young people, was a very interesting one. The 
meetings for instruction were held during Lent, at 
which careful preparation was made by the class for 
the important step about to be taken, and when the 
Bishop made his visitation great interest was man- 
ifested in the service. The church was filled with a 
sympathetic congregation. The choir of boys and 
men furnished excellent music for the occasion; the 
Bishop preached a sermon, full of wholesome in- 
struction, from the text, Eph. Way! We 2 Naan lemeeal i 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 97 


felt at the close of service that the day had been 
one full of inspiration and hope. 

A few weeks later Easter came, bringing its beauti- 
ful service and its comforting hopes of immortality. 
Flowers and music and the lessons of the day beauti- 
fied the worship and raised the thoughts of the worship- 
ers to a high and fervid pitch, peace and hope being 
its undertone. 

The number of singers in the choir had not been 
as large as usual for some time, as great difficulty was 
met in securing boys with good voices. This diffi- 
culty at length made a change in the composition of 
the choir necessary to keep up its efficiency. If 
boys enough could not be secured, young women, it 
was known, could be obtained. Therefore the rector 
and vestry invited the women of the congregation 
to aid in the singing, and at once a goodly number 
offered their services, and in the early summer the 
choir master, Henry W. Clark, began to train them. 
They rehearsed with the men and boys for some 
weeks, and at length, on the twentieth Sunday after 
Trinity, October 28, 1900, twelve of them, vested 
in caps and cottas, appeared with the choir and took 
seats in the stalls. It was seen at once that the 
problem of securing singers was solved, and that the 
addition of female voices had greatly improved the 
quality of the music. The fact of this change only is 
mentioned here; the personnel of the enlarged choir 
will be found recorded in another part of this work. 

Under the skillful training of Mr. Clark, this choir 
continued to improve, and by the aid of their good 
music we had on the following Easter (1901) one of 
the most beautiful and inspiring services ever held 
in Grace Church. The day was mild and pleasant; 
the church was beautifully decorated with plants 
and Easter lilies; the congregation was large and 
devout, and the music exceptionally good. And 
another fact worthy of mention is that at the morn- 
ing service seventy-three persons communed, the 
largest number in the history of the church ever 
present at one communion. 

The year 1902 was somewhat remarkable in the 
history of Grace Church. One thing requiring mention 
was the large number of persons who removed from 


‘98 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


the parish. There seemed, indeed, to be a sort of 
exodus from our midst. In his report to the Con- 
vention the rector had to give a loss of twenty-five 
communicants by removals during the year. This 
was, indeed, a serious loss to the parish, as some of 
the twenty-five were vestrymen and other active 
members. 


The Easter-tide of this year was also attended by 
some unusual events, not excepting the service of 
Easter Day, which was one of peculiar interest. 
The chancel was beautifully dressed with plants and 
flowers, the church was: filled with people, and the 
music rendered by the choir was very hearty and 
appropriate to the day. The rector’s sermon bore 
upon the importance of the Resurrection in Chris- 
tian doctrine and the chief results flowing therefrom 
to God’s people. After the sermon the offerings of 
the people were received, amounting to $75, and then 
the rector proceeded with the communion service, 
and just as he reached the “‘comfortable words,”’ 
and turned facing the congregation, a violent storm 
of wind and rain from the southwest burst forth, 
striking the church with such force that it rocked 
and cracked as though it would blow over. ‘The 
whole congregation rose from their knees, some 
starting out hurriedly through the front door, others 
through the vestry room to the basement, while 
others, pallid, stood stillin expectancy. Halfa dozen 
persons came up to the rector at the chancel rail, 
and among them little Helen Boyce, who, crying 
from fright, seized him by the arm. He quieted her 
by saying, ‘Do not be afraid; there is no danger.” 
Meanwhile the church had become very dark, which 
increased the congregation’s fears. The sexton, 
Albert McKain, appeared at the vestry-room door, 
and at the rector’s direction lighted up the church. 
This relieved the gloom, and the violence of the 
storm by this time having somewhat abated, the 
danger seemed to be over. The congregation, there- 
fore, quietly taking their places, the rector resumed 
the communion service, and proceeded reverently 
to the end. The interruption, however, had dis- 
turbed the tone of joyous devotion and marred to 
some extent the beauty and satisfaction of our Easter 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 99 


communion. We found, after the service was over, 
that the storm had broken off the top of a Lombardy 
poplar standing in front of the church, and had 
blown the front gables out of the brick schoolhouse 
on the opposite corner of the street. We all felt 
grateful that we had escaped without serious damage 
to the church and without injury to any of the mem- 
bers of the congregation. The next day we learned 
that great damage had been done by the storm in 
many parts of the city. A Presbyterian church in 
Knoxville had its chimney blown over on the roof, 
breaking through upon the congregation, injuring 
about forty persons, Also a small church in Alle- 
gheny had been unroofed, the debris injuring severely 
the clergyman and several other members of the 
congregation. Gratiae Deo ut nos pericuium effu- 
geremus. 


Easter Monday evening, March 31, 1902, a con- 
gregational meeting was held to hear the treasurer’s 
report and to elect a vestrv for the ensuing year. 
The night was very cold and snow was falling, con- 
sequently only ten persons assembled, and after 
hearing the report and discussing somewhat in- 
formally the expediency of celebrating the church’s 
semi-centennial, the meeting adjourned to Monday 
evening, April 7, postponing the election of a vestry 
to that time. 

In the meantime, on Saturday, about 9:30 P. M., 
Oliver Halpin Stinson, a vestryman and the junior 
warden of the church, was run over by a street car 
on Carson street, at the foot of the Castle Shannon 
Incline, while on his way home, and had died from 
his injuries at the South Side Hospital early next 
morning, Sunday, April 6. All the congregation 
were greatly shocked by the sad event. 


When the adjourned congregational meeting met 
on Monday evening, the 7th, there were three va- 
cancies in the last vestry, caused, one by the death 
of Mr. Stinson, one by the removal of Joseph Reeves 
to Philadelphia, and the third by the removal of 
Harry W. Neely from the parish to the East End 
during the previous week. Besides these three va- 
cancies there was virtually a fourth, for David R. 
Torrence, a vestryman, had moved from the parish 


100 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


to Baum street a year before, and being present at 
the meeting suggested that it would be better to 
elect some one living in the parish in his place. The 
election resulted in the choice of the following ves- 
trymen: George H. Baker, Thomas J. Bigham, 
John E. Boyce, George E. Brush, William Groves, 
Edward C. Purkey and Melville L. Stout. Thomas 
J. Bigham was elected senior warden and the rector 
appointed George H. Baker junior warden. 

The matter of the semi-centennial of Grace Church 
being called up, the rector informed the meeting 
that the parish was organized in the fall of 1851, and 
that a Sunday School was held, with an occasional 
service, in the old frame schoolhouse on the corner 
of Stanwix and Sycamore streets (then being torn 
down for the erection of dwellings on the site); that 
the charter of incorporation of the parish was ob- 
tained in April, 1852, and that the church was fin- 
ished and first opened for divine service in the fall 
of 1853. All seemed to consider the opening of the 
church as the real beginning of the parish, and the 
matter was consequently laid over until the meeting 
on Easter Monday, 1903, at which time plans were 
to be formed for the celebration of the church’s fif- 
tieth anniversary. 

The death of Oliver H. Stinson, referred to above, 
was a great loss to the parish. He was for many 
years a vestryman and warden; he had an inter- 
esting family; he had many devoted friends; he 
was successful in business, and therefore had about 
him all things to make life desirable. In the ad- 
dress at his funeral the rector said. ‘It was 
under these favorable circumstances that he was 
called away, and, indeed, so painful was the manner 
of his death and so unexpected was the summons 
that we can as yet hardly realize that his life is 
ended, that his position among us is vacant forever. 
We are indeed forcibly reminded by this sad death 
of the chances and uncertainties of human life. No 
one knows what an hour may bring forth. It is 
true wisdom, then, always to live as those who await 
their Lord. It is true happiness to believe that God 
is infinitely wise and good and that He orders all 
things in mercy for the final blessedness of His faith- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 101 


ful servants and for the perpetuation of His eternal 
glory. The soul that under all things can look up 
and say, ‘‘It is the Lord; He knoweth best,’’ will feel 
secure; will bow in submission and find peace and 
comfort even in death itself. 

Two months later, June 20, occurred another death 
in the congregation that touched deeply the hearts 
of all, that of Henry W. Ciark, choir master and 
organist of the church for the last three years. By 
his devotion to duty and his uniform courtesy Mr. 
Clark had won the respect and confidence of rector 
and people, and his death, therefore, was felt to 
be a great loss. He was an Englishman by birth; a 
churchman by inheritance and education and a 
gentleman by speech and manner. 


A few days later another well-known member of 
the congregation was taken away, Augusta Eliza 
Bigham, second daughter of the late Hon. Thomas J. 
and Maria L. Bigham, she having died Monday, 
June 23, aged 45 years. Miss Bigham was a woman 
of strong character, having inherited the fine quali- 
ties of her parents. She was clever, quick-witted 
and sympathetic, like her mother. She had a re- 
markably accurate memory and a wonderful com- 
mand of clear, forcible language, like her father. She 
was, in consequence of these traits; an able and suc- 
cessful Sunday School teacher, holding the attention 
and winning the confidence of her boys in an un- 
usual manner—a noble, Christian woman, devoted 
to her family and friends, full of faith and good works. 

Later in the year, December 18, another of our 
members, Mrs. Annie Maria Bond, died, aged 65 
years. She was one of the few persons left who had 
been a member of the church since its opening in 
1853. She was all her life an earnest churchwoman, 
always doing her full share in any work undertaken 
by the parish. She was a teacher in the Sunday 
School until her defective sight and failing health 
obliged her to give up this work. Simple in her 
tastes, conscientious in her duties, she led a quiet 
uneventful life. As a wife she set a noble example 
of faithfulness to home duties; as a mother she was 
devoted to her children, never sparing herself any 
irouble that their care and comfort requited, and 


102 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


she was rewarded for this devotion to her family 
with an affection on the part of her children that is 
rarely surpassed. 

The last two yearsof her life she was a great suf- 
ferer. The total loss of her sight and the steady de- 
cline of her health were afflictions whose severity it 
is difficult to estimate fully, and yet her patience 
and resignation were unfailing. Nothing but her 
firm faith in God’s mercy and goodness could have 
enabled her to bear her suffering, as she did, without 
murmuring or impatience. Her last days were a 
beautiful exemplification of the truth of the words, 
“God is a very present help in trouble,’ and also 
of those other words, ‘“‘God will never leave nor for- 
sake those who put their trust in Him.” 


The Christmas season brought the usual services 
and Sunday School festivities. On Chritsmas Day 
we had a beautiful service, with a fair congregation 
and a full choir. Flowers and plants adorned the 
chancel, and the sermon and music were appropriate 
to the glad message of the day. 

On the evening of Saturday, the 27th, St. John’s 
Day, the Sunday School festival was held, the chil- 
dren and their friends filling the room. The rector 
held a short service and made an address, in which 
he told the children of the glad tidings of the birth 
of their Lord, who came to save them from sin, illus- 
trating the subject with the story of Pierre and the 
Christ Child. The children sung their carols with 
much spirit, and then received gifts of books and 
candy as tokens of the gladness and good will of the 
season. 

The superintendent of the school, Thomas J. Big- 
ham, received from the teachers a beautiful engrav- 
ing as an evidence of their appreciation of his devo- 
tion to the work; the rector and Mrs. Coster were re- 
membered by the gift of some fine table linen from 
the Mite Society, while other gifts to teachers and 
pupils emphasized the spirit of harmony and con- 
fidence existing in the school. 

The year 1903 opened favorably. On Sunday, 
January 4, the first Sunday of the new year, the rector 
preached a sermon suitable to the time, choosing 
as his text, ‘See that you walk circumspectly, not 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 103 


as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the 
days are evil,’ and endeavoring to set forth therein 
the duties of prudence in conduct as God’s children 
and diligence in action as God’s servants. 


Later Lent came, with its lessons and duties. The 
Wednesday evening and Friday afternoon services 
were resumed according to custom long prevailing 
in the parish, the former being well attended, the 
latter attended only by a few faithful ones. The 
rector also during Lent instructed a class of twelve 
young persons for confirmation. They had grown 
up in the Sunday School and were personally known 
by the rector, and consequently their preparation 
was a work of deep interest to him. On the after- 
noon of the fifth Sunday in Lent the Bishop made 
his visitation, and the rector presented this class for 
cofirmation with great satisfaction. The service 
for the occasion was hearty and devout and the 
Bishop, in place of a regular sermon, addressed the 
class and congregation from his place in the chancel, 
setting forth with much earnestness the duties and 
the privileges of the Christian life. 


On Palm Sunday, for the first time in its history, 
the church was becomingly dressed with palms, the 
gift of George H. Baker. After the service many 
persons took home portions of the palm and used it 
in decorating their houses in honor of the event in 
our Lord’s life which the day commemorates. 

Easter Sunday this year was a bright, beautiful 
day and, with a large congregation, appropriate 
music, Many communicants, and a deeply reveren- 
tial tone pervading the worship, the service passed 
off reposefully, in marked contrast with the interrup- 
tion and alarm caused by the storm of last Easter 
Sunday. 


The Easter Monday congregational meeting was 
well attended and much enthusiasm for our work was 
manifested. The same vestry was elected as last 
year, except that Joseph William Bowman was 
chosen in the place of William Groves, who had re- 
cently moved from the parish and located in East 
Liberty. The proposal to celebrate the semi-cen- 
tennial of the parish, which was postponed at last 
Easter, was again considered and the decision 


104 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


reached to hold the celebration this fall on some day 
to be fixed later, perhaps in October or November. 

The report of the parish treasurer presented to this 
meeting, while fairly creditable considering the re- 
sources of the parish, did not come up to the ex- 
pectation of the officers, and, in fact, all wished that 
the showing had been better. 

The treasurer’s report for the last three years— 
1901, 1902, and 1903—-will here be given, as showing in 
some measure the financial condition of the parish. 


1900—-1901.—FRom EASTER TO EASTER. 
Parish Expenses: 


Salama NU OR dh MAr a u MEU gue $1,002.95 
Repairs andimprovements..... 332.04 
Ciirrentiexpensese yuan tate 220.49 
Parish Sunday School......... 96.95 
Mission Sunday School........ 40.75 
Mission services, Duquesne Hts. 72.62 
Choir expenses: tic). ).due wien 99.77 
Maria Adams Endowmt. Fund.. 10.00 
Diocesan Objects: SL Ste ae 
Diocesan missiomsi. iis.) cask $50.00 
SalaryiofiBishops).2hcskit. vere 34.00 
Convention expenses........... 23.00 
Aged and infirm clergy......... 9.33 
Prayer Book Society.......... 3.77 
Bishop’s Charity Fund......... 10.81 
————_—— 130.91 
Extra Diocesan Objects: 
Domestic missions... Pasi. $4.55 
Galveston flood sufferers....... 30.00 
SS 34.55 
Total Offerimese: eres hele cits ene tateeaie $2,041.03 


1901-1902. From EASTER TO EASTER. 
Parish Expenses: 


PS EET czh 6) SSR Ia GARR ra $942.29 
Insurance premium.......:... 38.00 
Incidental expenses. ../....... 107.46 
Chommbaokes eit" Ac neHnes a 4.26 


Paid on loanfrom Endwt. Fund 127.95 
Parish Sunday Schoolexpenses. 121.40 


Mission Sunday School expenses 83.10 
—— $1,424.46 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 105 


Diocesan Objects: 





Diocesan missions...... $50.00 
Diocesan missions (one- 
half mite boxes)...... HL 
$65 
Convention expenses........... 2a. 
Bishop ssalary 55.02.2000). 34. 
Christmas fund, a and in- 
firm clergy. . RN Peas te 
Bishop’s Charity Fund.. 1% 1 ie 
Prayer Book Society.......... 4. 
Foreign and Domestic Missions: 
Offerings tn'ehurch.... 00.0... $17. 
Mite boxes (one-half) ......... TS: 
Mota GHerimgs 1. 56 5 a 6) 2 en feie «bu 


1902—1903.—FrRom EasTER TO 
Parish Expenses: 


SRNR SS ANNO a a ae neha $973. 
Paid on loan from Endowment 
A ade Ieee valle aaa elle 310 
Iincidentabexpenses.. 002.5... 304. 
Vestments for rector.......... 22. 
Sunday School expenses....... 95. 
Diocesan Objects: 

Bishop s salaryeet sees ese | bots 
Conventionexpenses.)..\./0!...'... 30. 


Diocesan missions offer- 
THATS si RASS $50.00 
Mite boxes (one-half) ... 23.08 





73. 
Christmas fund, aged and in- 

LEER at OLS 0 eR eT ee 9. 
Bishop’s Charity Fund......... 16. 
Prayer Book Society.........- 4. 

Extra Diocesan Objects: 
Foreign and domestic missions.. $26. 
Woman's Auxiliary . 22 ...44 ss. 10. 
Lenten mite boxes (one-half)... 23). 


WROEANOMERIIES Ie Wes hie LO 


$145.80 


32.72 


$1,602.98 


$1,707.22 


171.86 


59.26 


$1,938.34 


106 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


The average of these three years is about the same 
as that of the last ten or fifteen years. 

The spring passed on and Whitsunday came, with 
its special services. In the afternoon was held the 
Sunday School service for the children. The rector 
said a short service, and then addressed the congrega- 
tion, explaining the meaning of the festival, which. 
commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost in 
fulfilment of our Lord’s promise. He emphasized 
the doctrine of the Holy Ghost as set forth in the 
Church’s formularies—His personality, His divin- 
ity, His presence with the Church and with be- 
lievers, sanctifying both by dwelling in them and 
filling the faithful with the spirit of Christ and mak- 
ing Christ and His people one. 

Some weeks later the church suffered the loss of 
one of its oldest and most respected members, Miss 
Emma Bennett, the sister of the late Mrs.Boggs. Miss 
Bennett was born and raised in the church, was a com- 
municant from girlhood, and all her life lived in the 
consciousness that she was a child of God. Her life 
was a pure, beautiful, peaceful one. Her gentle dis- 
position, her kindness of heart, her consideration for 
others, her unselfish nature, and her devotion to her 
friends made her a lovely, sweet woman,whose highest 
wish seemed to be to do good to others, and who was 
loved and trusted by all that knew her. Her de- 
votion to her sister, Mrs. Boggs, through a long ill- 
ness and her thoughtful consideration for the aged. 
Beckie, who for many years was a faithful servitor 
of the family, both showed a kind, unselfish char- 
acter and also the self-sacrificing spirit of her 
Divine Master. A gentle, peaceful soul, she now rests 
in the Paradise of God. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 107 


THE ORGAN OF GRACE CHURCH. 


Soon after the basement improvements and the 
refurnishing of the body of Grace Church had been 
completed, in the summer of 1869, the congregation 
began to think that a pipe organ was needed to com- 
plete the equipment for a proper rendering of the 
church’s resvice. No active steps were taken, how- 
ever, toward supplying this need for several years. 
The small reed organ which had done duty almost 
from the founding of the church still occupied its ac- 
customed place in the choir box, and with its thin 
tones led the voices of the singers. 

But early in 1874 the matter of purchasing an organ 
was discussed in the vestry, and a little later the fine 
instrument in the German Reformed Church of Mount 
Washington was offered to the congregation for the 
sum of $1,000. 

The vestry, after carefully considering the propo- 
sition, decided that it would not be prudent at that 
time to incur so large a debt, and the offer was re- 
jected. . 

After service Thursday evening, March 26, 1874, 
at which service the Rev. Dr. Scarborough, of Trinity 
Church, was present with the rector and preached, 
an informal congregational meeting was held in the 
church to consider the feasibility of raising the money 
to buy a pipe organ, and the sum of $150 was then 
and there subscribed, Dr. Scarborough pledging him- 
self to give $50 when the congregation should be 
ready to buy. This meeting gave great encourage- 
ment to all interested in the scheme. 

At this time Mr. E. H. Dermitt and Mr. Melville L. 
Stout, who had both been recently confirmed, and 
who were connected with the choir (Mr. Dermitt as 
the leader and Mr. Stout as the organist), became 
very much interested in the procuring of an organ, 
and through their influence the matter was kept be- 
fore the congregation. 

Mr. Dermitt naturally, from his position, took the 
lead in devising means for carrying out the wish of 
those interested, and, being encouraged and assisted 
by Mrs. S. H. Goldthorp, Mrs. John S$. McMillin, Mrs. 
R. J. Coster, Miss Margaret Goehring, Miss Mary 
Bigham (now Mrs. Stout), Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp, 


108 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Mrs. Brunt, Mrs. J. C. Davitt and others, determined 
to raise by entertainments and subscriptions the 
money for this purpose. 

In February, 1887, a Dickens reception was given 
in the schoolroom of the church, by which the sum 
of $144.65 was raised. Later a Mother Goose enter- 
tainment was given, which netted the sum of $208.00. 
These two amounts were sufficient to encourage the 
promoters of the fund to continue their efforts, not- 
withstanding considerable opposition on the part of 
some members of the congregation, who not only op- 
posed the purchase of an organ, but wished also to 
divert to other purposes the funds already in hand. 

This latter danger was, however, successfully avoid- 
ed, and by the spring of 1881 the fund had been suffi- 
ciently augmented by subscriptions to justify the 
congregation in entering into a contract for the build- 
ing of an organ suited to their church and their means. 
Consequently, on March 31, 1881, Mr. Dermitt, act- 
ing for the congregation, made an agreement with 
Carl Barckhoff, of Allegheny, to build an organ ac- 
cording to the following specifications: 


One Manual—Compass, CC to a?. 

Open diapason, 8-foot, metal, 58 pipes. 

Melodia, 8-foot, wood, 58 pipes. 

Dulciana, 8-foot, metal, 58 pipes. 

Octave, 4-foot, metal, 58 pipes. 

Flute harmonic, 4-foot, wood and metal, 58 
pipes. 

Spuer octave, 2-foot, metal, 58 pipes. 

Pedal CCCitoD: 

. Bourdon, 16-foot, wood, 27 pipes. 

. Pedal coupler to manual. 

. Tremolo. 

10. Bellows signal. 

11. Eclipse wind indicator. 

12. Balance swell pedal. 
to be set up in the church, complete, on or before 
September 1, 1881, for the sum of $700.00. 

Owing to some unavoidable delay in the construc- 
tion, the organ was not ready at the specified date. It 
was completed, however, and used for the first time 
at the Sunday morning service, November 6, 1881. 

And now, after seven years of waiting, the work 


OOM DD gm OON 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 109 


was accomplished, and Mr. Dermitt and his co-labor- 
ers saw Grace Church furnished with a pipe organ, 
complete of its kind, which gave satisfaction both to 
the builder and the purchasers. 

At that opening service the choir was composed of 
the following persons: Mrs. E. H. Dermitt, Mrs. 
James B. Boggs, Mrs. Joel Bigham, Mrs. Joshua Gold- 
thorp, Mr. E. H. Dermitt, Mr. Edwin Smith and Mr. 
William Digby. Mr. Dermitt was director and Mr. M. 
L. Stout organist. 

Although the amount required to purchase the 
organ was comparatively small, yet when one con- 
- siders the financial strength of the small congrega- 
tion at that time and the money that had to be raised 
for other purposes, it is evident that much praise is 
justly due to the promoters of the organ fund for 
their patient perseverance, and that too hearty con- 
gratulations upon their final success cannot be of- 
fered to all who took part in an enterprise that has 
been of such permanent advantage to the church. 


ORGAN FuND. 
Proceeds of entertainments and subscriptions: 


Dickens reception and supper.............. $144.65 
FACCHMEdamiberest OnSamie wy 4) Ee ol veld 27.51 
Mother Geoscentertaimment 9 2)) 4.002.420). 208 . 00 
Concerti Germamenureby ns) 60). ahs je) dala 71.00 
Subscription per Mrs.S?H.Goldthorp....... 25.00 
Subscription per Margaret Goehring........ 60.00 
WVEiss) Micimye Fsncinartin oo) a) aie sa)ic a), a ein alice 5.00 
Jellies Oe NYE iall 2 016 AURA aN a enn AGE 25.00 
SEO OMI OS BSE AIM ORY aN a De wn 10.00 
ojo}. SSS CI TUTE AREA BSD ae MMR RE us 20.00 
Brehumarrc rattan eects eh yo SANG Sb Ree 10.00 
IM ec UPaC OSFER as oe dec iad Ll hel si ayebae i Nee 10.00 
Subscription per Mrs. R. J. Coster.......... 10.00 
Gish OPE tslanea tra) Ss UVR RAAT Ck NE A 10.00 
IIE VIS UEAGT ss AOD 012) A Ae to ae OE 5.00 
MrswMarsaret Goldthorpe ois. /5 00 ess 4.00 
Mobi a siraler. [pick Wo Seeks UT ioe is 25.00 
Dan reReaMorremce.s :) AiMle Way Sand nD 5.00 
Sa EES Re eS Mes RE Rae 5.00 
Deleemeamumet OFSAMe Saks MAS Aas: 35.00 
[Sh 1eT AD) eyeinal cae eee toe Oe oO 14.84 





110 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


THE CHOIR OF GRACE CHURCH—1852-1903. 


Music forms an important part of all divine serv- 
ice. It is the agency by which the deepest feelings 
of adoration are awakened in human hearts, and by 
which devout souls give expression to the highest 
forms of praise. Its appropriate use adds beauty and 
fervor to public worship, and sustains the devotion 
of the congregation while offering to Almighty God 
the honor due to His Holy Name. Therefore, those 
persons who by their skill in music, vocal or instru- 
mental, aid in maintaining properly this necessary 
part of a congregation’s worship, are doing noble serv- 
ice for their Divine Master, and meriting for them- ~ 
selves the blessed commendation that shall be the 
portion of all those who, as God’s servants, make a 
right and worthy use of the gifts with which they 
have been endowed. 

It is deemed proper, then, that mention be here 
made, as far as possible, of all who in the past years 
have used their time and their talents in keeping up 
the church’s music. It is, however, a matter of 
deep regret that the early records of the parish con- 
tain no data regarding the music of the church. Only 
such facts can, therefore, be given relating to the 
first fifteen years of the history of the choir as are 
based upon tradition and the recollection of a few of 
the older members of the congregation. Consequent- 
ly, scant praise only can be given where much is 
justly due. 

In the first period of the history of the parish Mrs. 
Maria L. Bigham, who was deeply interested in all 
of its affairs, played the organ and assisted in the 
singing for several years. She was fond of music and 
a good singer, and, therefore, in the infancy of the 
church her assistance in the music was invaluable. 
In this early period Yates Lowen, Orpheus Lowen, 
Margaret Lowen, Robert Neely and Margaret Neely 
sang in the choir, as did also a little later Emma 
Neely and Mary Ann Stubbs, while Miss Wilson for 
several years played the organ. 

Mr. William Digby at successive times was or- 
ganist of the church and director of the choir. 
Mr. Digby was a fine musician and had a rich tenor 
voice, and by his skill and efficiency as a leader ren- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 111 


dered valuable services in the music. His kind in- 
terest in the parish, his ready willingness to lend as- 
sistance, and his long-continued efforts to improve 
church music on Mount Washington are gratefully 
remembered by all who knew him. 

Miss Emily Smith was organist of the church for 
about two years (1865 and 1866). She was succeeded 
by Miss Belle Golding, the daughter of Capt. Thomas 
H. Golding, who at that time lived on Grandview 
avenue, near the corner of Shiloh street. Miss Gold- 
ing held the position of organist during the years of 
1867 and 1868, and perhaps played for the church 
during short intervals at other times. 

Soon after the beginning of the present rectorship 
the position of organist was vacant and Professor 
Rohbuck, then a prominent musician of this city, 
having been asked to name some young man who 
could fill the position, strongly recommended Mel- 
ville L. Stout, one of his pupils. Mr. Stout, on being 
approached in regard to the matter, accepted 
the position and became organist of the church in 
1870. The choir at that time was composed of the 
following members: George Prosser, William Ritchie, 
Mrs. William H. Brunt, Mrs. John C. Shaler, Miss Mary 
Goldthorp and Miss Hughes, all good singers, and 
some of them possessing exceptionally fine voices. 
Under the leadership of Messrs. Prosser and Ritchie, 
-the music was well rendered, and to the credit of all 
the members it may be said that their services were 
voluntarily offered as a labor of love. After several 
years of faithful work this ghoir was broken up. Mr. 
Prosser moved to Oil City, Mr. Ritchie eft Mount 
Washington, and a little later Mrs. Brunt went to 
reside at Castle Shannon. 

After about two years’ service Mr. Stout resigned 
as organist and was succeeded, in 1871, by Miss 
Fanny Sawyer, then residing on Bertha street, near 
tthe church. Miss Sawyer continued to play ithe 
organ about a year and then resigned. 

Mr. Stout was then again elected as organist, and 
held the position continuously for the next ten years, 
from 1872 to 1882. 

During most of this time the choir was kept in a 
state of high efficiency, through the assistance of 
Mr. E. H. Dermitt, Mr. Edwin Smith and Mr. Samuel 


iL) A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Williams, all good singers and regular in their at- 
tendance. At Easter, 1881, the choir was consti- 
tuted as follows: Mr. E. H. Dermitt, leader; Mr. 
Edwin Smith, Mr. Samuel Williams, Mrs. E. H. Der- 
mitt, Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp, Mrs. James B, Boggs, 
Mrs. Joel Bigham and Miss Elizabeth Goldthorp. 
This was the most effective choir that the church 
had had up to this time. The leader, Mr. Dermitt, 
was a fine baritone singer, Mr. Smith’s voice was a 
rich bass, and Mr. Williams was a good tenor. The 
female voices were all good, but two were especially 
so, and these, Mrs. Goldthorp’s and Mrs. Boggs’, 
were rich and of wide range, as well as sweet and 
sympathetic. This choir on several occasions gave 
great pleasure to their audiences, and won for them- 
selves great applause by singing in operettas and 
concerts. 

On the resignation of Mr. Stout as organist, in 
1882, Miss Sarah Slocum was elected to the position 
and served faithfully for nearly two years. 


THE BOY CHOU: 


In the fall of 1886 Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp, with 
the consent of the rector and vestry, organized and 
began to train a boy choir for the church, and after 
several months’ preparation they sang for the first 
time in the church service on the Sunday after Christ- 
mas, December 26, wearing only cassocks, their cottas 
not yet being ready. This choir was constituted as 
follows: 

Choir directress, Mrs. Joshua Goldthorp. 

Organist, Miss Eula Lewis. 

Boys: Robert C. Bond, George Brokaw, Harry 
Brokaw, Samuel H. Kenah, William B. Kenah, Sam- 
uel McKain, Edward A. Niven, Walter C. Niven, John 
Pettigrew, George Reed, E. Conway Shaler, Harry 
Shaler, Harry Speer, Charles Tite. 

The boys appeared in full vestments, cassocks and 
cottas, for the first time, at the morning service on the 
fifth Sunday in Lent, March 27, 1887, the day of the 
Bishop’s annual visitation of the parish. 

Mrs. Goldthorp continued to train and direct the 
choristers for three years, giving her services entirely 
without compensation, as she had also done in the 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 113 


ten years of her connection with the choir prior to 
the introduction of the boys. 

In December, 1889, Mrs. Goldthorp, feeling obliged, 
from pressure of home duties, to withdraw from the 
work, sent in her resignation. The rector and vestry, 
in accepting her resignation, took occasion to express 
their deep regret at the severance of her connection 
with the choir, and begged leave to assure her of 
their high appreciation of her long and faithful serv- 
ices in maintaining the music of the church. 

Mr. Richard Burfoot was chosen as successor to 
Mrs. Goldthorp, and on January 1, 1890, he became 
choir master, with Mr. M. L. Stout as organist. At 
Easter, 1890, the choir was constituted as follows: 


Choir master, Richard Burfoot. 

Organist, Melville L. Stout. 

Sopranos (14 boys): Clinton Agnew, Britton 
Baker, Edwin Bindley, William Jones, John McKain, 
Samuel McKain, Albion McMillin, Robert Naysmith, 
Charles Nevergold, Samuel Reno, William Denning 
Shaler, Aaron Speer, Carl Turney, Charles Waggoner. 

Altos: Robert Reno, Samuel! Trainor. 

Tenors: John Boyce, Edward Gould, E. Conway 
Shaler. 

Bassos: Richard Burfoot, Fred Johnson, Samuel 
H. Kenah. 


This arrangement, with Mr. Burfoot as precentor and 
Mr. Stout as organist, worked very successfully until 
February 1, 1891, when, owing to ill health, Mr. 
Burfoot felt forced to resign, and a few weeks later 
Mr. Stout decided also to vacate his position, after 
almost fourteen years of service. For a few weeks 
the church, being without precentor or organist, had 
little or no music, and the choir became somewhat 
disorganized. 

Mr. Daniel Doré Ezechiels was next engaged to 
take charge of the choir, and began his work April 
1, 1891. He was a very competent musician and 
an enthusiastic choir master, and soon brought the 
choir to a degree of efficiency not hitherto attained. 

At the opening of the services after the summer 
vacation, September 1, 1891, Mr. Ezechiels had the 
boys well trained and they rendered the service very 
acceptably. His choir was thus constituted: 


114 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Choir master and organist, Daniel Doré Ezechiels. 

Assistant choir master, Samuel H. Kenah. 

Boys (13): Cantoris—Hunter Dewsnap, William 
Elliott, William Jones, Harry Needham, Aaron Speer, 
R. Walkmeyer. Decani—Paul Harper, Herman Heis- 
ler, Albion McMillin, William Lauderbaugh, Noel 
Montreville, Robert Naysmith, Harry Read. 

Altos: William J. McCaddon, John Patton, James 
Lewis McKain, Samuel A. McKain. 

Tenors: E. Conway Shaler, William Naysmith, 
William White. 

Bassos: G. Fred Johnson, Robert Revelvy, Wil- 
liam Groves, Samuel H. Kenah. 

In the fall of this year, after eight months’ service, 
Mr. Ezechiels received the offer of a position much 
better pecuniarily than that which he held in Grace 
Church, and having tendered his resignation, the 
vestry agreed to. release him from his contract on 
December 1, 1891, although his engagement did not 
terminate until the first of the next April, and being 
free to accept the position offered, he moved to Ames- 
bury, Mass. 

The vestry was fortunate enough to secure at once 
the services of Mr. James Dodworth, a very compe- 
tent choir master and organist, who had received his 
musical education in the Royal Academy of Music, 
London, and thoroughly understood the manage- 
ment and training of a boy choir. He entered upon 
his duties December 1, and under his management 
and training, the music was very successfully con- 
ducted. 

At Easter, 1892, the choir was constituted as fol- 
lows: 

Choir master and organist, James Dodworth. 

Assistant choir master, Samuel H. Kenah. 

Boys (16): Cantoris—Hunter Dewsnap, Charles 
Heinrich, Charles Howarth, William Jones, Harry 
Needham, Herman Soffel. Decani—-Herman Hein- 
rich, Herman Heisler, Harry Hetling, William Lau- 
derbaugh, Albion McMillin, Noel Montreville, Sylves- 
ter Sweeney. 

Altos: William J. McCaddon, James Lewis 
McKain, John McKain. 

Tenors: William J. White, Edward Gould, Will 
Urwin. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 115 


Bassos: Robert Revelvy, Fred Johnson, E. Con- 
way Shaler, William Groves, Samuel H. Kenah, Harry 
G. Shaler. 

Mr. Dodworth resigned June 1, 1892, to take the 
organ of Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, and Miss Louise 
G. Taylor was elected to fill the vacancy. Miss Tay- 
lor, as a teacher, had had much experience in govern- 
ing boys, and was therefore able to maintain the choir 
in full efficiency during her administration. 

At Easter, 1893, her choir was constituted as fol- 
lows: 

Organist and directress, Miss Louise G. Taylor. 

Assistant choirmaster, Samuel H. Kenah. 

Boys (14): Hunter Dewsnap, William Jones, Noel 
Montreville, Harry Needham, Harry Read, Herman 
Soffel, Aaron Speer, George Glaze, Albert Heinrich, 
Christian Heinrich, Herman Heisler, Harry Hetling, 
William Smith, Russell Walkmeyer. 

Men (8): William J. White, Edward Gould, 
Robert Revelvy, Fred Johnson, William Groves, 
Samuel H. Kenah, E.Conway Shaler, Harry G. Shaler. 

Miss Taylor held the position from June 1, 1892, 
to October 1, 1893, and then resigned, finding that, 
with her duty as teacher in the ward school, she was 
overtaxed with work. 

Miss Shannon then became organist and Mr. Wil- 
liam Groves director, and together they successfully 
managed the choir from October 1, 1893, to Febru- 
ary 1, 1894. 

Upon the retirement of Miss Shannon, Melville L. 
Stout, one of the vestrymen, wishing to relieve the 
church of the expense of providing an organist, vol- 
unteered to take charge of the music again. His 
offer was gladly accepted and he was at once elected 
organist and choir master, and all were pleased to 
see him back in the position so long filled by him in 
former years. Mr. Stout organized an auxiliary 
choir of young women, who volunteered to sit in the 
front pew, beside the choir, and assist in the singing, 

At Easter, 1894, two months after Mr. Stout as- 
sumed control, the choir was constituted as follows: 

Choir master and organist, Melville L. Stout. 

Men (4): William Groves, Samuel H. Kenah, 
John Boyce, Fred Johnson. 


116 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Boys (12): Alfred Bowman, Frank Glaze, Adam 
Heisler, Herman Heisler, Christ Heinrich, Harry 
Hetling, David Nease, Harry Needham, Joseph Need- 
ham, Edward Schmidt, William Smith, John Zelk. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

Auxiliary choir: Ardella Armstrong, Sarah Arm- 
strong, Mary Ashford, Ida Newell, Clara V. Small, 
Charlotte Marland, Annie Wallace, Jane Wallace. 


This supplemental choir was found very helpful, 
and the wisdom of the choir master in organizing it 
was fully vindicated. The rector and vestry shrank 
at that time from sanctioning the practice of vesting 
them and placing them in the stalls with the boys; 
but still they and all the congregation would have 
greatly regretted the loss of their very acceptable 
assistance in the singing. 

The choir at Easter, 1895, was still under the same 
management and remained very nearly the same as 
the year previous, which fact the following list of 
members will show: 

Choir master and organist, Melville L. Stout. 

Men (4): William Groves, Samuel H. Kenah, 
Harry H. Anderson, Fred Johnson. 

Boys (10): Alfred Bowman, William Hannam, 
Adam Heisler, Herman Heisler, Christ Heinrich, 
Daniel Kelly, J. Lewis McKain, William Smith, 
Leonard Thompson, John Zelk. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

Auxiliary choir: Ida Newell, Annie Wallace, 
Clara V. Small, Jane Wallace. 


In the summer of 1896, after long and faithful serv- 
ice as organist and choir master, Mr. M. L. Stout 
felt that he must be relieved of this duty, and with 
much regret of both the vestry and the congregation 
his resignation was accepted, and William H. Sweit- 
zer was chosen as his successor. Mr. Sweitzer was 
a young man trained to some extent under Walter 
Hall, the choir master of Trinity Church. He was 
very fond of music, full of enthusiasm for his work, 
and very affable in manner, and was, therefore, well 
fitted to render efficient service in his position. 

At Easter, 1898, the rector’s thirtieth anniversary 
of service in the parish, the music was exceptionally 
good, as Mr. Sweitzer inspired his singers with much 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. Ley 


of his own enthusiasm. The choir at that time was 
constituted as follows: 

Organist and choir master, William H. Sweitzer. 
Singers—Elmer Baker, James S. Florence, George M. 
Howarth, Joseph J. Lewis, Wilfred D. Lowe, Howard 
Neely, Antony Schornagle, Clarence G. Brush, Harry 
James, Samuel H. Howarth, Ralph R. Lewis, Robert 
Mackey, Harry McCombe, Harry H. Oaks, Fred. 
Schornagle, Upton Zelch, John L. Zelch, Samuel H. 
Kenah, Albert C. Turbett. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

Mr. Sweitzer continued to serve the congregation 
until the spring of 1899, when, from pressure of other 
duties, he found himself obliged to relinquish the 
direction of the choir. By his efficiency, his faith- 
fulness and his courtesy he had won the confidence and 
respect of all the congregation, and, therefore, his 
resignation caused deep regret. 

The vestry was fortunate in securing as his suc- 
cessor Mr. Henry W. Clark, an accomplished musi- 
cian and a cultured gentleman. Mr. Clark at once 
took up the work and kept the music at a high stand- 
ard of excellence. At the Easter service of 1899 
the choir was composed of almost the same members 
as in 1898; but for some time difficulty had been ex- 
perienced in securing a sufficient number of boys 
with good voices to keep up a full choir, and this 
difficulty brought about an important change in 
the constitution of the choir. Since the fall of 
1886 boys and men only who voluntarily gave 
their services had furnished the music. Now it 
was determined by the rector and vestry to in- 
troduce young women, and as soon as this fact 
became known a sufficient number to make a 
full choir freely offered their services. During 
the early fall Mr. Clark began to train this new 
element, and on Sunday, October 28, 1900, at the 
morning service, twelve women, vested in cottas and 
caps, appeared with the boys and men, adding much 
by their assistance to the richness and sweetness of 
the music. This was only using more fully the serv- 
ices of women, which practice had been begun by 
Mr. Stout during his management of the choir in 
1894, when at his request an auxiliary choir of women 
rehearsed with the men and boys, and during the serv- 


118 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


ices sat in the front pews unvested and assisted in 
the singing. Now they were vested and sat in the 
choir stalls. 

This new choir was composed of the following 
members: 

Sopranos: Master Harry Peck, Miss Sarah Min- 
singer, Miss Annie Newell, Miss Mabel McCormick, 
Miss Jennie Wallace, Miss Clara Small, Miss Florence 
Moyer, Miss Hilda Griffith, Mrs. Ida Bigham. 

Altos: Master Howard Neely, Master Ray Towse, 
Miss Gladys Griffith, Miss Harriett McCormick, Miss 
Della Towse, Miss Selina Boyce. 

Tenors: John E. Boyce, Edward Gould, Clarence 
Brush. 

Basses: Albert C. Turbett, William Thompson, 
Ernest Griffith. 

Choir master and organist, Henry W. Clark. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

At Easter, 1902, this choir had changed but little. 
It was then composed of the following members: 

Organist and choir master, Henry W. Clark. 

Boys (2): John Tremilling, Howard Neely. 

Men (6): John E. Boyce, Clarence Brush, George 
E. Brush, Edward Gould, Ernest Griffith, William 
Groves. 

Women (10): Mrs. Ida Bigham, Miss Selina Boyce, 
Miss Charlotte Heinrich, Miss Matilda Heinrich, 
Miss Anna C. Gibson, Miss Harriet McCormick, Miss 
Mabel McCormick, Miss Annie Newell, Mrs. Minnie 
Patton, Miss Jennie Wallace. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

Early in May of this year Mr. Clark was taken dice 
with typhoid fever, and after six weeks of illness he 
died, June 18. His funeral service was held in the 
church, the full choir being present and singing the 
burial chant and the hymns “Asleep in Jesus”’ and 
“Lead, Kindly Light.” 

The death of Mr. Clark was a great loss to the choir 
and the rector, as by his gentlemanly manners and 
his uniform courtesy he had won the respect of all 
and had rendered his services highly acceptable. Dur- 
ing his illness and until a successor was chosen Mr. M. 
L. Stout, with his usual thoughtful consideration, 
filled the vacancy. 








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A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 119 


At the opening of the services in September, after 
the August vacation, Frederick Hail became choir 
master and organist, and continued to serve in that 
capacity until May 1, 1903, when he resigned and was 
succeeded by Miss Nellie Martin, the present organist 
of the church. 

In making this change from a man to a woman as 
choir director it was felt that there was some risk, but 
we are glad to record the fact that the choir is doing 
good service under the judicious direction of Miss 
Martin, and that the music rendered is churchly and 
appropriate. 

The present choir (October, 1903) is composed of 
the following members: 

Organist and choir directress, Miss Nellie Martin. 

Women: Mrs. Ida Bigham, Miss Selina Boyce, 
Miss Helen Boyce, Miss Gladys Griffith, Miss Char- 
lotte Heinrich, Miss Matilda Heinrich, Miss Blanche 
Jamieson, Miss Clarice Jamieson, Miss Annie Newell, 
Mrs. Minnie Patton, Miss Kota Pierce, Miss Jennie 
Wallace. 

Men: John E. Boyce, Clarence G. Brush, George 
E. Brush, Edward Gould, Ernest Griffith, John C. 
Morgan, Howard Neely. 

Organ blower, Harry Butterfield. 

This sketch completes the history of the choir (as 
far as the imperfect data, gathered with much diffi- 
culty, will permit) down to October, 1903. The 
record is very deficient, especially in regard to the 
first fifteen years of the parish life. And yet if these 
notes, imperfect as they are, serve in some measure 
to stimulate interest in the music of the church and 
to keep alive the memory of those who have served 
the church by singing in the choir, the purpose for 
which they have been written will be realized. 


120 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


CHANCEL FURNITURE AND MEMORIALS. 
THE BisHop’s CHAIR. 


This chair, which stands in the chancel of Grace 
Church, is an interesting piece of church furniture, 
and is highly prized by the congregation in conse- 
quence of its past history. It formerly belonged to 
Trinity Church, Pittsburg, and stood in the chancel 
of that church from 1827 (the year stamped on its 
back) until the old church was torn down, in 1872, 
preparatory to the building of the present edifice. 
It was used by all the Bishops of Pennsylvania at 
their visitations prior to that year. The venerable 
William White, first Bishop of Pennsylvania, oc- 
cupied it; also Bishop Alonzo Potter and Bishop 
Stevens. It is, consequently, an important relic, 
and its presence in the chancel of Grace Church is a 
link connecting the history of this church with the 
early history of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. 

It came into the possession of Grace Church through 
the interest of Mr. William Halpin, who, when the 
church was being refurnished in 1869, obtained it 
from the vestry of Trinity Church as a present for 
Grace Church. It was newly upholstered and placed 
in the chancel, where it has now stood over thirty 
of the seventy-five years during which it has been in 
use. It was used by John Barrett Kerfoot, D. D., 
first Bishop of Pittsburgh, at the consecration of the 
present church building, December 28, 1869, and at 
all his subsequent visitations of the parish. Our 
present dioscesan, Bishop Whitehead, has also oc- 
cupied it at all of his visitations. 

Venerable from age and sacred from long use in 
the offices of the Church, it is justly prized by its 
present owners. It is strongly built, of black walnut, 
in a Gothic pattern, with a straight back and narrow 
arms, and is upholstered on the seat and the back; 
and should no mishap befall it, it is good still for a 
hundred years’ service. 


Tue CHURCH BIBLE. 


The Bible in use on the lectern is a fine Oxford 
edition, printed in large, clear type by the Oxford 
Press, and bound in heavy black morocco. It 
has no marginal references and no chronological 
notes, being designed especially for desk use. 





Tue BisHop’s CHAIR. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 121 


It was selected by the present rector, and at his sug- 
gestion was presented to the church by Capt. John 
S. McMillin, one of the vestrymen of the parish, as 
a memorial of his first wife, Mrs. Phebe Ann McMillin, 
who was buried in Allegheny Cemetery, after service 
in the church, July 10, 1866. Dr. Killikelly, the 
rector, after recording her death, adds this note: 
“She was a most excellent Christian woman and a 
valuable member of the Church and of society.” 
It was through her influence that Captain McMillin 
was baptized and became a communicant. The 
presence of this Bible, therefore, bears testimony to 
her faith and good works, and through it ‘‘she, though 
dead, yet speaketh.”’ 


CHANCEL WINDOW. 


The church building when first erected was fur- 
nished with a chancel window of small diamond- 
shaped panes of glass, figured, but without coloring 
except the gray tints of a little tracery, much of 
which tracery had disappeared in the twenty-two 
years of its existence. This gave the window a 
faded and washed-out appearance, and made the con- 
gregation wish for something better and more ap- 
propriate to the character of the sacred place. Great 
was the satisfaction of all, therefore, when, in the 
summer of 1875, Mr. William Halpin expressed the 
wish to beautify the chancel with a stained-glass 
window in memory of his father and mother. The 
consent of the rector and vestry was cheerfully given, 
and in a short time the work was finished. Such a 
memorial was especially appropriate in this case, as 
Mr. Halpin’s father lies in an unknown grave near 
Dublin, Ireland, having died in a cholera epidemic; 
and his mother was buried in the sea, having died on 
the voyage to this country to join her son. 

This window is composed of three lancets, the mid- 
dle one of which contains, in the center,a presenta- 
tion of the Ascension, and below the legend, ‘‘The sea 
shall give up her dead.’”’ The lancet on the right has 
in the center the font, above, the patten and bread, 
and below, the inscription, ‘‘In memoriam. William 
Halpin; born 1800, died 1832.’’ The lancet on the 
left has in the center the open Bible; above,the chalice, 


122 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


and below, the words,‘‘In memoriam. Mary Halpin; 
born 1801, died 1840.’ In the apex of the window is 
the All-seeing Eye, in a lance to the right of the apex 
the anchor, and in one to the left the Cross and Crown. 

The coloring of the window is rich and harmonious, 
and the effect as seen from the body of the church is 
very pleasing. 

This memorial commemorates departed ones whose 
ashes none can discover and yet it recalls the hope 
that 


“Although in regions far from thee 
Thy kindred and their graves may be,”’ 


still, in the Great Day, God shall gather His people 
from earth’s wide bounds and ocean’s farthest shores 
into His house of many mansions, their eternal home, 
where the faithful shall meet again all those dear 
ones ‘‘which they have loved long since and lost 
a while.”’ 

THE BaprTisMAL Font. 


The church, when erected, in 1853, was furnished 
with a neat, plain wooden font, which continued in 
use until Easter, 1880, when it was replaced by a 
handsome stone font, presented to the church by 
Miss Emma Bennett, of Boggs avenue, as an adorn- 
ment of the Lord’s house and as a thank-offering 
for His many mercies to herself. 

The material of which it is made is a white sand- 
stone. The base is hexagonal, about fourteen inches 
in width; the slender stem is also hexagonal and sup- 
ports a bowl of the same dimensions as the base. 
Upon the font stands a walnut cover surmounted 
by a floriated cross. 

The only marking on the font is the monogram 
IHS, on the front face of the stem. Standing at 
the entrance of the chancel, it fitly symbolizes the 
means of admission to the Church of God. 

It is now hallowed by more than twenty years of 
sacred use, and, being simple and chaste in design, is 
in entire harmony with its surroundings. 


LECTERN, PRAYER Desk, Etc. 


The church was further adorned at Easter, 1886, 
with the gifts of an eagle lectern, made of walnut and 
beautifully carved; a prayer desk and stall, also of 





Ther LECTERN. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 123 


walnut; and a credence table, of the same material. 
These pieces of chancel furniture were presented by 
Mrs. John C. Shaler and Mrs. Mary Thompson, as 
memorials of their father and mother, Edward and 
Jane Bratt. Mrs. Bratt died February 5, 1884, 
aged 77 years, and Mr. Bratt, October 30, 1885, aged 
80 years. 

A sketch of the lives of these long-tried and faith- 
ful members of Grace Church will be found elsewhere 
in this volume. 


THE STAINED-GLAass WINDOWS. 


The windows which were put in Grace Church when 
it was first built were fitted with diamond-shaped 
panes of ground glass, and these continued to do 
service until 1887. The Mite Society during the 
summer of this year, with the aid of their friends, 
replaced these with stained-glass windows, which by 
their rich colors and subdued light much beautified 
the church. Five of these windows are memorials, 
which were designed by the rector and a committee 
of ladies of the Mite Society, aided by Marshall Broth- 
ers, of Allegheny, who did the work. 

One is a memorial of Bishop Kerfoot, bearing the 
inscription, ‘‘In memory of John Barrett Kerfoot, 
first Bishop of Pittsburgh. Died July 10,1881; and 
the text, I Thessalonians iv, 12, 13. 

One a memorialof Edward Bratt, long a vestryman 
and treasurer of the church; died October 30, 1885, 
aged 80 years. 

One a memorial of Thomas J. Bigham, for many 
years a vestryman and senior warden of the church; 
died November 9, 1884, aged 74 years. 

One a memorial of Mrs. Sarah Lowen Goldthorp; 
died March 19, 1883, aged 55 years; and of her daugh- 
ter, Mary Goldthorp Steele; died February 13, 1886, 
aged 33 years. 

One a memorial of the deceased members of the 
Mite Society, bearing the inscription, ‘‘In memory 
of the departed of the Mite Society,’’ and the text, 
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee 
a crown of life.’”—Revelation ii, 10. 


124 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


It is an interesting fact in the history of this window 
that the five grandchildren of the Goldthorp family, 
namely, Mary Goldthorp Steele, Helena Marie Der- 
mitt, Lillian Goldthorp Dermitt, Bessie Douglas 
Goldthorp, and Roland Lee Goldthorp, raised the 
money to pay for it. 

A full description of these windows will be found 
on pages 36, 37. 


— e 


crate ee 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 125 


THE MOUNT WASHINGTON READING ROOM 
AND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. 


Twenty years ago (that is, about 1880) Mount 
Washington was destitute of such public conven- 
iences as reading rooms, libraries and gymnasiums, 
and this lack was felt by many of that district to be 
a great reproach to the liberality and public spirit of 
its citizens. Mrs. T. J. Bigham, who was a large 
property owner in the neighborhood, and who had 
always been deeply interested in the social and moral 
welfare of its people, expressed to her rector in the 
year 1882 the wish that something might be done 
for the benefit of the young people of Mount Washing- 
ton in the way of providing means for innocent recre- 
ation and social enjoyment. She said, rightly, that 
there were no public places open at that time where 
young people could go in the evenings for these pur- 
poses. The only public places open to them were 
the saloons. She therefore suggested, with the 
public spirit characteristic of her, that steps be taken, 
as had been done in England and in some places in 
this country, to open on the Hill what were called 
Holly Tree Inns, or places of public resort, lighted and 
warmed and furnished with newspapers and maga- 
zines and with conveniences for such games as chess 
and checkers, and also with provision for the sale of 
hot coffee and tea and other non-intoxicating bev- 
erages. 

The matter was considered among the Grace Church 
people; but, with the view of eliciting a more wide- 
spread interest, it was considered not advisable that 
this work should be undertaken by any one congrega- 
tion of the neighborhood, but that an appeal should 
be made to all the citizens of Mount Washington to 
unite in some enterprise of this nature for the general 
benefit of the Hill. Consequently, the clergymen and 
some of the principal men and women of the different 
congregations were conferred with, and a call was 
issued with general approval for a public meeting 
to consider the matter, and in accordance with this 
call a meeting was held in the Baptist Church, Syca- 
more Street, on Thursday evening, January 4, 1883. 
The meeting was well attended, and among those 
present were the Rev. Mr. McCrory, of the Baptist 


126 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Church; the Rev. E. P. Jennings, of the Presbyterian 
Church; the Rev. Mr. Williams, of the Methodist 
Church, and the Rev. R. J. Coster, of Grace Episcopal 
Church; also, of the laity, Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Bigham, 
Dr. J. C. McCormick, Mr. W. T. Bown, Mr. and 
Mrs. John C. Shaler, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Reb- ~ 
beck, Mr. Edwin W. Smith, Mrs. C. B. M. Smith, 
Mrs. John S. McMillin, Miss Elizabeth Hughes, Miss 
Mary Williams, Mrs. R. J. Coster, Miss Augusta 
Shaler, Mrs. Harrison and others whose names are 
not recalled. 

Dr. J. C. McCormick presided and John C. Shaler, 
Jr., acted as secretary. The Hon. T. J. Bigham 
stated what the object of the meeting was; and after 
the expression of the opinions and wishes of a num- 
ber of those present, from which it appeared that 
a preponderance of opinion was in favor of establish- 
ing a reading room and library, a committee of eight 
was appointed—two each from the Methodist, the 
Baptist, the Presbyterian and the Episcopal Churches 
—to inquire into the Holly Tree Inn system and to 
report to a future meeting a plan for the organization 
of a library and reading room for the Hill. 

The committee consisted of the following persons: 
Miss Elizabeth Hughes, Mrs. Littell, Miss Mary Wil- 
liams, Mrs. Stall, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. T. 
J. Bigham, Mrs. R. J. Coster. 

A second meeting was held at the same place on 
Friday evening, January 19, 1883, when the com- 
mittee on organization appointed at the first meeting 
reported, through the Rev. R. J. Coster, of Grace 
Church, the following recommendations, to wit: 

1. That the association be called the Mount Wash- 
ington Reading Room and Library Association. 

2. That the object of the association be to supply 
a free reading room, with papers and books for the 
use of visitors. 

3. That a board of managers consisting of sixteen 
ladies and gentlemen (eight of each) be chosen, who 
shall take charge of the matter and be responsible for 
its direction, and that they have the power to fill 
vacancies. 

4. That hereafter the board of managers be elected 
annually by the contributors to the support of the 
association. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. yay 


5. That the officers of the board be a president, 
a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer, and 
that these officers be chosen annually by and from 
the board of managers. 

6. That stated meetings of the board be held month- 
ly, and that seven members constitute a quorum. 

7. That the treasurer receive all funds contributed, 
and that he pay therefrom all bills of the association, 
on the order of the president; and that he make an 
annual report of the funds received and disbursed. 

8. That a membership of the Reading Room and 
Library Association be constituted, which shall be 
composed of all persons who contribute annually 
dollars to the association, and that an annual meeting 
be held by these contributors, at which meeting re- 
ports from the officers of the association shall be 
read and the board of managers for the ensuing year 
shall be elected. 

After discussion, the plan of organization was 
adopted as presented by the committee, except that 
in section 8 the clause constituting a membership of 
the Reading Room and Library Association was 
made to read ‘‘who contribute annually one dollar 
or more.”’ 

Then,on motion of the Hon.T. J. Bigham, a commit- 
tee composed of the president, Dr. McCormick, and 
the secretary, John C. Shaler, Jr., and the four clergy- 
men present, namely, the Rev. Messrs. McCrory, Wil- 
liams, Jennings and Coster, was appointed to nomi- 
nate a board of directors for the ensuing year; and 
after consultation the committee presented the fol- 
lowing directors for the first year: 


Miss Elizabeth Hughes. W.T. Bown. 





Mrs. Littell. F. J. Rebbeck. 

Miss Mary Williams. Phillip Smith. 

Mrs. Stull. Peter Soffel. 

Mrs. T. J. Bigham. John C. Shaler, Jr. 
Mrs. R. J. Coster. Edwin W. Smith. 
Mrs. Harrison. William Digby, Sr. 
Mrs. Brown. Dr. J. C. McCormick. 


These persons were elected by acclamation, and 
thus the Mount Washington Reading Room and Li- 
brary Association was organized and started upon its 


128 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


career of usefulness. The board of directors held their 
first meeting January 23, 1883, and elected the follow- 
ing officers: 

President, Mrs. T. J. Bigham. 

Vice-president, Dr. J. C. McCormick. 

Secretary, Mr. F. J. Rebbeck. 

Treasurer, Mrs. R. J. Coster. 


The board of directors at once rented a room on 
Shiloh street, which they furnished and supplied 
with papers and magazines and kept open daily (ex- 
cept Sunday) for the use of the public. Gifts of 
books were solicited, and very soon, by the liberality 
of Mr. William Lyon and others, a good assortment 
of books was on hand and the reading room began to 
fill a long-felt want. 

An act of incorporation was obtained January 12, 
1884, and then the association was ready to hold 
property and to advance its work as the means for 
this were offered. 

April 1, 1884, Mr. William Lyon, one of the Read- 
ing Room’s most constant and liberal friends, deeded 
to the board of directors a lot fronting 25 feet on 
Grandview avenue, and on November 25, 1887, he 
deeded a second lot adjoining the first, of the same 
dimensions, thus giving them a lot with a fifty-foot 
front, on which they built a commodious house, con- 
taining living rooms for the janitor and librarian, 
a hall for public entertainments, and a large reading 
room for visitors. This was completed and opened 
in October, 1888, Mr. Andrew Carnegie, Capt. Samuel 
Brown and Mr. William Lyon being the chief con- 
tributors to the building fund. 

A gymnasium was opened in the new building, 
which at first was well sustained by a large member- 
ship, but subsequently the number of members de- 
clined until the gymnasium had to be closed for the 
lack of patronage. 

The reading room and library were kept open, with 
a fair amount of patronage, but the directors were 
often hard-pressed for funds to meet their obligations. 
The revenues of the association were derived from 
three sources, namely, membership fees, rent of 
the hall, and private contributions, and with these 
combined sums the expenses were met. As is the 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 129 


case in all benevolent enterprises, it was through 
the influence and the efforts of a few faithful individ- 
uals that the work was continued and maintained. 
Among these public-spirited persons may be men- 
tioned W. T. Bown, Edwin W. Smith, JohnC. Shaler, 
Jr., Dr. Orin W. Sadler, Mrs. John S. McMillin, Prof. 
C. R. Coffin, Mrs. Sawhill and Miss Hughes. 
The Board of Directors in 1895 were as follows: 


W. T. Bown. Mrs. W. T. Bown. 

K. Q. Bigham. Miss Ida Smith. 

Edwin W. Smith. Miss Jennie C. Williams. 
J.C. Shaler, Jr. Mrs. D. R. Torrence. 
William Boehmer. Mrs. J. F. McKee. 
William Abbott. Mrs. W. W. Sawhill. 
H.S. Ley. Mrs. Allison Meyers. 
Prof. C. R. Coffin. Mrs. C. R. Coffin. 


The officers of the Board were: 


President, W. T. Bown. 
Vice-president, Mrs. C. R. Coffin. 
Treasurer, Mrs. W. W. Sawhill. 
Secretary, Mr. Edwin W. Smith. 


When Mr. Andrew Carnegie gave his splendid gift, 
‘‘A Free Library,” to the city of Pittsburgh, and the 
board of trustees of that institution adopted the policy 
of establishing branch libraries in the different parts 
of the city for the convenience of the public, the 
Mount Washington Reading Room and Library As- 
sociation, through its president, W. T. Bown, and 
its other officers, used its influence to secure a branch 
of the Carnegie Free Library for Mount Washington, 
and when finally this branch was built and opened 
the directors of the old Reading Room and Library 
closed their rooms, in the year 1900, and turned 
over their books and other effects to the Carnegie 
Library. 

Thus, after seventeen years (1883-1900), of great 
usefulness to the people of Mount Washington, the 
work in which they had been the pioneers in that 
part of our fast-growing city was left to the ample 
resources and the splendid equipment of the Car- 
negie Free Library. 


130 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


THE CHARTER OF GRACE CHURCH. 





THE CHARTER OF INCORPORATION OF GRACE CHURCH, 
IN Mount WASHINGTON, LOWER St. CLatr Town- 
sHIP, ALLEGHENY County, PENNSYLVANIA. 


WHEREAS, the following-named persons, citizens 
of this Commonwealth, viz, George Lowen, Alex- 
ander Rowland, Thomas J. Bigham, William Adams, 
Richard Stubbs, Benjamin White and A. Kirk Lewis, 
have, together with other citizens, associated for 
the purpose of worshiping Almighty God according 
to the faith and discipline of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church in the United States of America, and have for 
that purpose formed a congregation at Mount Wash- 
ington, in Lower St. Clair Township, Allegheny 
County, and are now desirous of being incorporated 
agreeably to the provisions of the Act of the General 
Assembly of Pennsylvania entitled ‘“‘An Act to con- 
fer on certain associations of the citizens of this Com- 
monwealth the powers and immunities of corpora- 
tions or bodies politic in law,” they therefore declare 
the following to be the objects, articles and conditions 
of their said association, agreeably to which they de- 
sire to be incorporated, viz: 


First. The name of the corporation shall be ‘The 
Rector, Churchwardens and Vestrymen of Grace 
Church, Mount Washington.” 

Second. This church acknowledges itself to be a 
member of, and to belong to, ‘‘The Protestant Epis- 
copal Church in the State of Pennsylvania and the 
Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States 
of America.’”’ As such, it accedes to, recognizes 
and adopts the constitution, canons, doctrine, dis- 
cipline and worship of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church in the State of Pennsylvania and of the Prot- 
estant Episcopal Church in the United States of 
America, and acknowledges their anthority, accord- 
ingly. Any member of this church or corporation 
who shall disclaim or refuse conformity to the said 
authority shall cease to be a member of this corpora- 
tion, and shall not be elected or vote in the election 
of vestrymen, or exercise any office or function in, 
concerning or connected with said church or corpora- 
tion. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 131 


Third. The rents and revenues of this corporation 
shall, from time to time, be applied for the mainte- 
nance and support of the rector,ministers and officers 
of the said church and in the erection and necessary 
repairs of the church and churchyard and parsonage 
house and other houses which now do or shall here- 
after belong to the said corporation, and to no other 
use or purpose whatsoever: Provided always, That 
the clear yearly value or income of the real and per- 
sonal estate held by the said corporation shall not 
at any time exceed the sum of two thousand dollars. 

Fourth. The said corporation shall not, by deed, 
fine or recovery, or by any other means, without the 
consent of the Convention of the Protestant Episco- 
pal Church of the State of Pennsylvania, or of the 
Standing Committee of the Diocese, previously had 
and obtained, grant, alien or otherwise dispose of 
any land, messuages, tenements or hereditaments in 
them vested, nor charge nor encumber the same to 
any person or persons whomsoever. 

Fifth. The rector of this church chall be elected 
by the churchwardens and vestrymen, in such man- 
ner as the statutes and by-laws shall ordain. The 
vestry of said church shall consist of seven persons, 
members of the said church, who shall continue in 
office for one year, and until others be chosen; and 
the election of such vestry shall be made every year, 
on Easter Monday, by a majority of such members 
of the said church as shall appear by the vestry books 
to have paid two successive years immediately pre- 
ceding the time of such election for a pew or sitting 
in said church: Provided, That until the next Easter 
Monday after the expiration of five years from the 
date of this charter members of the said church who 
shall in any way have contributed to the erection of 
the church, or to the support of the rector or minis- 
ters thereof, shall be entitled to vote at the election 
of vestrymen: And provided, That in case of the 
failure to elect vestrymen on that day, the corpora- 
tion shall not on that account be dissolved, but the 
election shall be holden on some other day, in such 
manner as the by-laws may prescribe: Provided al- 
ways, That the by-laws, rules and ordinances of this 
corporation shall not be repugnant to the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, or of this Common- 
wealth, or of this instrument. 


is A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Sixth. No person shall be the rector or assistant 
minister of this church unless he shall have had Epis- 
copal ordination, and unless he be in full standing 
with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the State of 
Pennsylvania and of the United States and recog- 
nized as such by the Bishop of this Diocese, or, in 
case of a vacancy in the episcopate, by the Stand- 
ing Committee of the Diocese. 

Seventh. The said vestry shall have full power to 
choose their own officers, and they shall annually, at 
their first meeting after their election, choose one of 
their own number to be one churchwarden, and the 
rector for the time being shall elect another of the 
said vestrymen to be the other churchwarden of the 
said church. In case of the vacancy of the office of 
rector at the time of the election, the other church- 
warden shall also be chosen by the vestry, to remain 
until the election of a rector or a new election of the 
vestry. And during such vacancy the church-ward- 
ens for the time being and vestrymen shall have the 
same powers and authority relating to the disposition 
of the rents and revenues of the said corporation as 
are hereby vested in the rector, churchwardens and 
vestrymen: Provided always, That it shall be the 
duty of the said churchwardens and vestrymen to 
elect another rector to supply the vacancy as soon 
as conviently may be. 

Eighth. The seven following-named persons to be 
the churchwardens and vestrymen, to continue 
in office until the election on Easter Monday next, 
and until others be chosen, viz: 

Thomas J. Bigham, senior warden. 

Alexander Rowland, junior warden. 

George Lowen, William Adams, Richard Stubbs, 
Benjamin White, A. Kirk Lewis, vestrymen. 

Mount Washington, October 22, 1851. 


(Signed) A. Kirk LEwis, 
Clerk of Vestry. 


Wo. H. Pappocx, 
Chairman and District Missionary 
in Western Pennsylvania. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 133 


And now, to wit, March 26, 1852, the said applica- 
tion having been presented in open court, on motion 
of W. O. Leslie, Esq., it was ordered to be filed and 
notice thereof to be given in the Weekly Gazette for 
three weeks, and that the said charter of incorpora- 
tion will be granted on Saturday, the seventeenth 
day of April next, unless cause be shown to the con- 
trary. 

By THE Court. 

And now, to wit, April 26, 1852, it appearing to 
the court that notice of the application for said char- 
ter has been given according to law, and no reason hav- 
ing been shown why the same should not be granted, 
the court do order and decree that the persons as- 
sociated as therein set forth shall, according to the 
liability and conditions in said instrument set forth 
and contained, become and be a corporation or body 
politic in law and in fact, to have continuance by 
the name, style and title of “‘The Rector, Church- 
wardens and Vestry of Grace Church, Mount Washing- 
ton;’’ and the court further order and direct that said 
charter of incorporation be recorded in the office for 
recording deeds in and for the County of Allegheny. 

From the record. 

a Es. Sc (Signed) Geso.S. Hays, Pro. 

April 26, 1852. 

No. 13, June Term, 1852. 


1384 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


VESTRIES OF GRACE CHURCH, AND OF- 
FICERS OF THE SAME. 


1851-1852—Thomas J. Bigham, senior warden. 

Alexander Rowland, junior warden. 

A. Kirk Lewis, secretary. - 

George Lowen, William Adams, Richard Stubbs, 
Benjamin White. vestrymen. 

The records of the vestry from 1852 to 1867 have 
been lost. During these years, Thomas J. Bigham 
was senior warden. 
1867—Thomas J. Bigham, senior warden. 

William L. Bond, junior warden. 

William Halpin, treasurer. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 

Samuel Harper, Julian Maddox, Jacob Wil- 
bert, vestrymen. 

1868—Thomas J. Bigham, John C. Shaler, Jr., war- 
dens. 

Thomas Shannon, William Digby, William 
Hughes, Christ Minsinger, Edward Bratt, 
vestrymen. 

1869—Edward Bratt, senior warden. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary and junior warden. 

Samuel Harper, treasurer. 

John S. McMillin, Thomas J. Bigham, William 
Bond, William Halpin, vestrymen. 

1870—Edward Bratt, senior warden. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary and junior warden. 

Samuel Harper, treasurer. 

John S. McMillin, William L. Bond, William 
Halpin, Thomas J. Bigham, vestrymen. 

1871—William Halpin, senior warden. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary and junior war- 
den. 

Thomas J. Bigham, Thomas Jackson, Edward 
Bratt, William L. Bond, John S. McMillin, 
vestrymen. 

1872—William Halpin, senior warden. 

John C. Davitt, secretary and junior warden. 

Edward Bratt, treasurer. 

William L. Bond, John S. McMillin, Thomas 
Jackson, Thomas J. Bigham, vestrymen. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 135 


1873—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
John Naysmith, secretary. 
William L. Bond, Samuel H. Goldthorp, John 
S. McMillin, verstrymen. 


1874—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
William L. Bond, Samuel H. Goldthorp, John 
S. McMillin, vestrymen. 


1875—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
John S. McMillin, William L. Bond, Samuel 
H. Goldthorp, vestrymen. 


1876—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
John S. McMillin, William L. Bond, Thomas J. 
Bigham, vestrymen. 


1877—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
John S. McMillin, William L. Bond, Thomas J. 
Bigham, vestrymen. 
1878—William Halpin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, William 
L. Bond, vestrymen. 
1879—John C. Shaler, Jr., senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, William 
Halpin, vestrymen. 


136 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


1880—Alfred Marland, senior warden. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, William 
L. Kenah, vestrymen. 
1881—Alfred Marland, senior warden. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
Edward H. Dermitt, secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, William 
L. Kenah, vestrymen. 
1882—John S. McMillin, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, Edward H. Dermitt, Wil- 
liam L. Kenah, vestrymen. 


1883—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, William 
L. Kenah, vestrymen. 
1884—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Alfred Marland, junior warden. 
Edward Bratt, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, Dr. O. 
W. Sadler, vestrymen. 
1885—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Samuel G. Reed, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Edward Bratt, Alfred Marland, Dr. Orin W. 
Sadler, vestrymen. 
1886—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Samuel G. Reed, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Kirk Q. Bigham, Alfred Marland, Dr. Orin W. 
Sadler, vestrymen. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 137 


1887—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Samuel G. Reed, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Kirk G. Bigham, Alfred Marland, Dr. Orin W. 
Sadler, vestrymen. 


1888—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Samuel G. Reed, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Dr. Orin W. Sadler, Oliver H. Stinson, William 
P. Linhart, vestrymen. 
1889—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Dr. Orin W. Sadler, William P. Linhart, 
Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., vestrymen. 
1890—John Bindley, senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
John S. McMillin, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
Dr. Orin W. Sadler, William P. Linhart, 
Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., vestrymen. 
1891—Alfred Marland, senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
William P. Linhart, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, Jr., secretary. 
John S. McMillin, Dr. Orin W. Sadler, 
Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., vestrymen. 
1892—Alired Marland, senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
William P. Linhart, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, secretary. 
John S. McMillin, Dr. Orin W. Sadler, Thomas 
F. Ashford, Sr., vestrymen. 
1893—Alired Marland, senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
Robert Naysmith, treasurer. 
John C. Shaler, secretary. 
Dr. Orin W. Sadler, William P. Linhart, 
Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., secretary pro tem- 
pe, vestrymen. 


138 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. | 





Mr. W. P. Linhart resigned in , 1893, and 
George A. Johnson was elected to fill the vacancy. 
Robert Naysmith resigned in September, 1893, and 
Melville L. Stout was elected to fill the vacancy. 
1894—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
George A. Johnson, treasurer. 
Melville L. Stout, secretary. 
John C. Shaler, William Groves, Perey Wha- 
ley, vestrymen. 
1895—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., senior warden. 
Oliver H. Stinson, junior warden. 
George A. Johnson, treasurer. 
Melville L. Stout, secretary. 
John C. Shaler, Harry W. Neely, Edward C. 
Purkey, vestrymen. 
1896—John Conway Shaler, senior warden. 
Oliver Halpin Stinson, junior warden. 
Melville L. Stout, Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., 
Samuel Groves, George A. Johnson, Harry 
W. Neely, vestrymen. 
1897—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., senior warden. 
Harry W. Neely, junior warden. 
Thomas J. Bigham, treasurer. 
George A. Johnson, Samuel H. Kenah, John J. 
Lowe, Melville L. Stout, vestrymen. 
1898—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., senior warden. 
Harry W. Neely, junior warden. 
Thomas J. Bigham, treasurer. 
John J. Lowe, Oliver H. Stinson, Melville 
L. Stout, David R. Torrence, vestrymen. 
1899—David R. Torrence, senior warden. 
Harry W. Neely, junior warden. 
Thomas J. Bigham, treasurer. 
John J. Lowe, Joseph Nagley Reeves, Oliver 
H. Stinson, David R. Torrence, vestrymen. 
1900—David R. Torrence, senior warden. 
Harry W. Neely, junior warden. 
George H. Baker, Thomas J. Bigham, John 
J. Lowe, Joseph N. Reeves, Oliver H. Stin- 
son, vestrymen. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 139 


1901—David R. Torrence, senior warden. 
Harry W. Neely, junior warden. 
George H. Baker, Joseph William Bowman, 
John J. Lowe, Joseph N. Reeves, Oliver H. 
Stinson, vestrymen. 
At a meeting of the vestry on November 1, 1901, 
Mr. Joseph W. Bowman resigned, and Thomas J. 
Bigham was elected to fill the vacancy. 


1902—Thomas J. Bigham, senior warden. 
George H. Baker, junior warden. 
John E. Boyce, George E. Brush, William 
Groves, Edward C. Purkey, Melville L. 
Stout, vestrymen. 
1903—George H. Baker, senior warden. 
Melville L. Stout, junior warden and secretary. 
Thomas J. Bigham, treasurer. 
John E. Boyce, Joseph William Bowman, 
George E. Brush, Edward C. Purkey, vestry- 
men. 


140 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


DEPUTIES TO ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE 
DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 


The parish was admitted into union with the Con- 
vention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania May 20, 1852. 
No deputies seem to have been elected to the Con- 
vention of 1853. 
1854—Thomas J. Bigham, George Lowen, A. Kirk 

Lewis. 
1855—No deputies reported to the Convention. 
1856—No deputies reported to the Convention. 
1857—Thomas J. Bigham. 
1858—Thomas J. Bigham, A. Kirk Lewis. 
1859—Thomas J. Bigham, Richard Stubbs, A. Kirk 
Lewis. 
1860—No deputies reported to the Convention. 
1861—No deputies reported to the Convention. 
1862—Thomas J. Bigham. 
1863—Thomas J. Bigham. 
1864—Thomas J. Bigham, Levi H. Harris, John S. 
McMillin. 
1865—Thomas J. Bigham, Levi H. Harris, John S. 
McMillin. 


DEPUTIES TO THE CONVENTION OF THE 
DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH. 


The Diocese of Pittsburgh was organized in 1865. 

Deputies to the primary convention, November 
15, 1865: Thomas J. Bigham, Levi H. Harris, Isaac 
Whittier. 


DEPUTIES TO THE ANNUAL CONVENTIONS. 


1866—Thomas J. Bigham, Levi H. Harris, John S. 
McMillin. 

1867—Thomas J. Bigham, John S. McMillin, John C. 
Shaler, Jr. 

1868—Thomas J. Bigham, Edward Bratt, Sr., Thomas 
Shannon. 

1869—Thomas J. Bigham. William Halpin, Samuel 
Harper. 

1870—Thomas J. Bigham, William Halpin, John S. 
McMillin. 

1871—Thomas J. Bigham, William Halpin, John S. 
McMillin. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 141 


1872—Thomas J. Bigham, William Halpin, John S. 


McMillin. 

1873—Edward Bratt, Sr., William Halpin, John S. 
McMillin. 

1874—Edward Bratt, Sr., Edwin H. Dermitt, John 
S. McMillin. 

1875—William Halpin, Alfred Marland, John S. Mc- 
Millin. 

1876—William Halpin, Edwin H. Dermitt, John S. 
McMillin. 

1877—Thomas J. Bigham, William Halpin, John S. 
McMillin. 

1878—Thomas J. Bigham, John C. Shaler, Jr., John 
S. McMillin. 


1879—Thomas J. Bigham, John C. Shaler, Jr., Ed- 
win H. Dermitt. 

1880—Thomas J. Bigham, Edward Bratt, Sr., John 
S. McMillin. 

1881—Thomas J. Bigham, John C. Shaler, Jr., John 
S. McMillin. 

1881—October 19, Special Convention for the election 
of a Bishop—Thomas J. Bigham, Alfred Mar- 
land, John S. McMillin. 

1882—Thomas J. Bigham, Edward Bratt, John S. 
McMillin. 

1883—Thomas J. Bigham, John C. Shaler, Jr., John 
S. McMillin. 

1884—John Bindley, John C. Shaler, Jr., John S. 
McMillin. 

1885—John C. Shaler, Jr., Alfred Marland, John S. 
McMillin. 

1886—Alfred Marland, John S. McMillin. 

1887—John C. Shaler, Jr., Alfred Marland, John S. 
McMillin. 

1888—John C. Shaler, Jr., William P. Linhart, John 
S. McMillin. 

1889—John C. Shaler, Jr., Alfred Marland, Oliver H. 
Stinson. 

1890—John C. Shaler, Jr., O. W. Sadler, M. D., John 
S. McMillin. 

1891—Alfred Marland, Thomas F. Ashford, Sr. 

1892—Alfred Marland, O. W. Sadler, M. D. 

1898—Alfred Marland, Orin W. Sadler, M. D. 

1894—John C. Shaler, Oliver H. Stinson. 


142 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


1895—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., John C. Shaler. 
1896—Oliver H. Stinson, Harry W. Neely. 
1897—Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., Harry W. Neely. 
1898—David R. Torrence, Harry W. Neely. 
1899—Thomas J. Bigham, Harry W. Neely. 


1900—Harry W. Neely, Oliver H. Stinson, David R. - 


Torrence. 

1901—Thomas J. Bigham, Joseph N. Reeves, David 
R. Torrence. 

1902—Thomas J. Bigham, William Groves, George 
H. Baker. 

1903—Thomas J. Bigham, George H. Baker, Joseph 
William Bowman 


a 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 143 


FIRST LIST OF PARISHIONERS 
OF 


Grace CuHurcH, Mount WASHINGTON, JUNE 1, 1853. 
(Prepared by the Rev. John G. Furey, rector.) 


Adams, William, Virginia Street, mechanic. 

Adams, Maria, Virginia Street, wife of the above. 

Bingham, Thomas J., Woodlawn, lawyer. 

Bigham, Maria Lewis, Woodlawn, wife of the above. 

Chivers, George, Chiverton, mechanic. 

Chivers, Mrs., Chiverton, wife of the above. 

Golding, Thomas H., Grandview Avenue, steam- 
boat captain. 

Golding, Mary Deane, Grandview Avenue, wife of 
the above. 

Golding, Mary, Grandview Avenue, sister of Cap- 
tain Golding. 

Golding, Anna Maria, Grandview Avenue, niece of 
Captain Golding. ‘ 

Golding, William, Grandview Avenue, brother of 
Captain Golding. 

Golding, Mary, Grandview Avenue mother of Cap- 
tain Golding. 

Leslie, William Oliver, counselor at law. 

Leslie, Bertha, wife of the above. 

Lewis, A. Kirk, Duquesne Heights. 

Lewis, Mary Orth, Duquesne Heights, wife of the 
above. 

Lowen, George, Virginia Street, manager of gas 
works. 

Lowen, Maria, Virginia Street, wife of the above. 

Lowen, Maria, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Lowen, Margaret, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above, 

Lowen, John, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Lowen, Seth, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Lowen, Yates, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

McMillin, John S., Grandview Avenue, steam- 
boat captain. 

McMillin, Phebe, Grandview Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Neale, Emily. 


144 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Neeley, Robert, Virginia Street. 

Neeley, Margaret A., sister of the above. 
Richardson, Henry, jeweler. 

Richardson, Caroline, wife of the above. 

Reese, David, farmer. 

Reese, Mrs. Sarah, wife of the above. 

Scott, Mary A. 

Shannon, Capt. Thomas, steamboat captain. 
Shannon, Mrs. Margaret, wife of the above. 
Stubbs, Richard, Bertha Street, mechanic. 
Stubbs, Jane, Bertha Street, wife of the above. 
Stubbs, Jane, Bertha Street, daughter of Richard. 
Stubbs, Ella, Bertha Street, daughter of Richard. 
Torrence, Robert, farmer. 

Torrence, Mary Elizabeth, wife of the above. 
Wilson, Rebecca, daughter of S. B. Wilson. 
Wilson, Sarah B., wife of Dr. Wilson. 


SECOND LIST OF PARISHIONERS 
OF 


Grace CHurcH, Mount WasHiIncton, NOVEMBER 
4, 1866. 


(Prepared by the Rev. B.B. Killikelly, D. D., rector.) 


Adams, William, Virginia Street, mechanic. 

Adams, Maria, Virginia Street, wife of the above. 

Bigham, Thomas J., Woodlawn, lawyer. 

Bigham, Maria Lewis, Woodlawn, wife of the above. 

Bigham, Joel Lewis, Woodlawn, son of the above. 

Bigham, Kirk Q., Woodlawn, son of the above. 

Bigham, Mary, Woodlawn, daughter of the above. 

Bigham, Eliza, Woodlawn, daughter of the above. 

Bigham, Louisa, Woodlawn, daughter of the above. 

Blanton, Charles. 

Blanton, Susan, wife of the above. 

Blanton, , son of the above. 

Blanton, Rhoda, daughter of the above. 

Bond, William L., Virginia Avenue, florist. 

Bond, Anna Maria, Virginia Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Bond, Sarah Isabella, Virginia Avenue, daughter 
of the above. 

Bond, Julian George, Virginia Avenue, son of the 
above. 





a 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 145 


Bond, Mary Eleanor, Virginia Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Bratt, Edward, Wyoming Street, magistrate. 

Bratt, Jane, Wyoming Street, wife of the above. 

Bratt, Nellie, Wyoming Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Campbell, Mary Jane, wife of Alexander. 

Chapman, James, unmarried, late from Ireland. 

Craig, Bergan B. 

Craig, Phebe, wife of the above. 

Craig, Julia Ann, daughter of the above. 

Ditmore, Miss Barbara, a member of Captain 
McMillin’s family. 

Golding, Mary, Grandview Avenue, mother of 
Captain Golding. 

Golding, Mary, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
Mary. 

Golding, William, Grandview Avenue, son of Mary. 

Golding, Thomas H., Grandview Avenue, steam- 
boat captain. 

Golding, Mary Dean, Grandview Avenue, wife of 
the above. 

Golding, Isabella, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Goldthorp, Samuel H., Wyoming Street, gas en- 

neer. 

Goldthorp, Sarah Lowen, Wyoming Street, wife of 
the above. 

Goldthorp, Joshua, Wyoming Street, son of the 
above. 

Goldthorp, Mary, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
the above. 

Goldthorp, Elizabeth, Wyoming Street, daughter 
of the above. 

Goldthorp, Kate, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
the above. 

Goldthorp, Sarah, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
the above. 

Halpin, William, Virginia Street, gas fitter and 
plumber. 

Halpin, Maria Lowen, Virginia Street, wife of the 
above. 

Halpin, Mary, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 


146 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Halpin, Ann, Virginia Street, daughter of the above. 

Halpin, Sarah Goldthorp, Virginia Street, daughter 
of the above. 

Hughes, William, Wyoming Street, iron roller. 

Hughes, Agnes, Wyoming Street, wife of the above. 

Hughes, Margaret, Wyoming Street, daughter of the - 
above. 

Hughes, Agnes Washington, Wyoming Street, 
daughter of the above. 

Hibbs, Samuel, mechanic. 

Hibbs, Alice, wife of the above. 

Lowen, George, Mount Washington, gas inspector 
for Pittsburgh Gas Works. 

Lowen, Mary, Mount Washington,wife of the above. 

Lowen, Isabella, Mount Washington, daughter of 
the above. 

Lowen, Charlotte, Mount Washington, daughter of 
the above. 

Lowen, Yates, Mount Washington, son of the above. 

Lowen, Kate, Mount Washington, daughter of the 
above. 

Lowen, John (son of George), Mount Washington, 
nurseryman. 

Lowen, Sophia Vick, Mount Washington, wife of 
the above. 

Lowen, George, Mount Washington, son of the 
above. 

Lowen, Walter, Mount Washington, son of the 
above. 

Lowen, Jennie, Mount Washington, daughter of the 
above. 

Maddox, Julian, Virginia Street, florist. 

Minsinger, William, Prospect Street, son of Got- 
lieb and Caroline. 

Minsinger, Elizabeth, Prospect Street, daughter of 
Gotlieb and Caroline. 

McMillin, John S., Grandview Avenue, steamboat 
captain. 

McMillen, Phebe, Grandview Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Smith, Emily, Grandview Avenue, niece of Captain 
McMillin. 

Neeley, Miss Margaret A., Virginia Street, sister of 
Robert. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 147 


Pare, John, Sycamore Street, groceryman. 

Pare, Sarah, Sycamore Street, wife of the above. 

Shaler, John Conway, Duquesne Heights, farmer. 

Shaler, Sena, Duquesne Heights, wife of the above. 

Shaler, John Conway, Jr., Duquesne Heights, son 
of the above. 

Shaler, Augusta, Duquesne Heights, daughter of 
the above. 

Shannon, Thomas, Virginia Street. 

Shannon, Margaret, Virginia Street, wife of the 
above. 

Shannon, William, son of the above. 

Shannon, Elizabeth, daughter of the above. 

Shafer, Miss Theresa, Grandview Avenue, daughter 
of Casper. 

Stubbs, Jane, Bertha Street, wife of Richard. 

Stubbs, Ella, Bertha Street, daughter of Richard 
and Jane. 

Torrence, Mary Elizabeth, Sycamore Street, widow 
of Robert. 

Torrence, David R., Sycamore Street, son of Robert 
and Mary. 

Torrence. Sarah, Sycamore Street, daughter of 
Robert and Mary. 

Torrence, Rebecca, Sycamore Street, daughter of 
Robert and Mary. 

Torrence, Mary Elizabeth, Sycamore Street, daugh- 
ter of Robert and Mary. 

Torrence, Robert Reed, Sycamore Street, son of 
Robert and Mary. 

Torrence, Ephraim, Sycamore Street, son of Robert 
and Mary. 

Reese, Mrs. Sarah, Sycamore Street, mother of 
Mrs. Mary E. Torrence and a member of her family. 
Trotter, Robert, Mount Washington, mechanic. 

Trotter, Dorothy, Mount Washington, wife of the 
above. 

Trotter, Dorothy, Mount Washington, daughter of 
the above. 

Trotter, Robert, Mount Washington, son of the 
above. 

Trotter, Elizabeth, Mount Washington, daughter 
of the above. 


148 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Trotter, Mary, Mount Washington, daughter of 
the above. 

Wilmot, Prudence, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, wife of 
George. 
Wilmot, Prudence, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter of 
George and Prudence. 
Wilmot, Fanny, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter of 
George and Prudence. 
bs Wilmot, Mary A., Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter 
of George and Prudence. 

Wilmot, Edwin, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, son of George 
and Prudence. 


THIRD LIST OF PARISHIONERS 
OF 


GracE CHurcH, Mount WASHINGTON, EASTER, 1886. 
(Prepared by the Rev. Robert J. Coster, rector.) 


Ashford, Thomas F. (1882), Virginia Street, book- 
keeper. 

Ashford, Mary A., Virginia Street, wife of the 
above. 

Ashford, Thomas F., Jr., Virginia Street, son of the 
above. 

Ashford, Georgina, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Ashford, Nellie, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Ashford, Mary, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Ashford, Joseph, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Ashford, Annie Lenora, Virginia Street, daughter 
of the above. 

Ashford, Margaret B., Virginia Street, daughter of 
the above. 

Armiger, Mrs. Margaret, Sycamore Street, wife of 
James B. 

Armiger, Ida, Sycamore Street, daughter of James 
B. and Margaret. 

Armiger, Anna Brokaw, Sycamore Sireet, daughter 
of James B. and Margaret. 

Armiger, George, Sycamore Street, son of James B. 
and Margaret. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 149 


Bigham, Mrs. Maria Lewis (1852), Woodlawn, 
widow of Hon. Thomas J. 

Bigham, Kirk Q., Woodlawn,son of Hon. Thomas J. 

Bigham, Eliza, Woodlawn, daughter of Hon. 
Thomas J. 

Bennett, Miss Emma, Boggs Avenue, sister of Mrs. 
Samuel Boggs. 

Boggs, Mrs. Sarah, Boggs Avenue, widow of Sam- 
uel Boggs. 

Bindley, Albion (1884), Boggs Avenue, lumber 
dealer. 

Bindley, John (1882), Boggs Avenue, hardware 
merchant. 

Bindley, Emeline H., Boggs Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Bindley, John C., Boggs Avenue, son of the above. 

Bindley, Edward, Boggs Avenue, son of the above. 

Bindley, William, Boggs Avenue, son of the above. 

Bindley, Adelaide, Boggs Avenue, daughter of the 
above. 

Bond, William L. (1866), Virginia Street, florist. 

Bond, Anna M., Virginia Street, wife of the above. 

Bond, Thomas, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Bond, William, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Bond, Robert C., Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Bond, Frank, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Bond, Charles, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Brunt, William H.: wife, Annie L.; children, Hamil- 
ton, Frank and Nellie, Wyoming Street. 

Burrell, Henry M., Sycamore Street, mechanic. 

Burrell, Mary E. Torrence, Sycamore Street, wife 
of Henry M. 

Burrell, Richard, Sycamore Street, son of the above 

Burrell, Leila, Sycamore Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Croner, Mary E. (1871), Shiloh Street, wife of Abra- 
ham G. 

Croner, Edna, Shiloh Street, daughter of the above. 
Croner, Charles, Shiloh Street, son of the above. 
_Chamberlain, James, Duquesne Heights, civil en- 

gineer. 
Chamberlain, Nellie, Duquesne Heights, wife of the 
above. 


150 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Chamberlain, Philo, Duquesne Heights, son of 
James and Nellie. 

Chamberlain, Charles, Duquesne Heights, son of 
James and Nellie. 


Coward, John W. (1880), Smith’s way, near Boggs 


Avenue, molder. 

Coward, Mary Wilmot,Smith’s way,wife of the above 

Coward, Charles, Smith’s way, son of John W. and 
Mary. 

Coward,Prudence, Smith’s way, daughter of JohnW. 
and Mary. 

Coward, Nannie, Smith’s way, daughter of John W. 
and Mary. 

Dermitt, Edward H. (1874), Grace Street, life insur- 
ance agent. 

Dermitt, Kate Goldthorp, Grace Street, wife of the 
above. 

Dermitt, Helena Marie, Grace Street, daughter of 
Edward and Kate. 

Dermitt, Lilian, Grace Street, daughter of Edward 
and Kate. 

Davis, A. P., Bigham Street, fire insurance agent. 

Davis, Mrs. A. P., Bigham Street, wife of the above. 

Davis, Herbert, Bigham Street, son of the above. 

Ferguson, Miss Edith, Merrimac Street, artist. 

Glaze, Alfred George (1886), Bigham Street, roll 
turner. 

Glaze, Emma James, Bigham Street, wife of the 
above. 

Glaze, Sarah, Bigham Street, daughter of the above. 

Glaze, Frank, Bigham Street, son of the above. 

Glaze, George, Bigham Street, son of the above. 

Glaze, James, Bigham Street, son of the above. 


Goehring, Mrs. Eliza A., Grandview Avenue, wife 


of Captain Goehring. 

Goehring, Frank, Grandview Avenue, adopted son 
of Captain Goehring. 

Robinson, Mrs. Lidie Goehring, Grandview Avenue, 
wife of Cyrus Robinson. 

Goldthorp, Joshua, Grace Street, furnace dealer. 

Goldthorp, Margaret Douglas, Grace Street, wife 
of the above. 

Goldthorp, Elizabeth, Grace Street, daughter of the 
above. 


a, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 151 


Goldthorp, Samuel Lee, Grace Street, son of the 
above. f 

Goldthorp, Samuel H., Wyoming Street, gas en- 
gineer, 

Goldthorp, Elizabeth, Wyoming Street, daughter 
of Samuel H. 

Steele, Sarah, Wyoming Street, granddaughter of 
Samuel H. Goldthorp. 

Heppenstall, H. R., Merrimac Street, clerk. 

Heppenstall, Arthur, Merrimac Street, son of the 
above. 

Hibbs, Mrs. Alice, Kearsage Street, widow. 

Hughes, William, Wyoming Street, iron roller. 

Hughes, Agnes, Wyoming Street, wife of William. 

Hughes, Agnes, Wyoming Street, daughter of Wil- 
liam and Agnes. 

Hughes, Annie, Wyoming Street, daughter of Wil- 
liam and Agnes. 

Hughes, Andrew, Wyoming Street, son of William 
and Agnes. 

Hughes, Elizabeth, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
William and Agnes. 

Hughes, Margaret, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
William and Agnes. 

Hughes, William, Wyoming Street, son of William 
and Agnes. 

Howarth, John, Grace Street, engineer. 

Howarth, Elizabeth Minsinger, Grace Street, wife 
of the above. 

Howarth, Mary Alice, Grace Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Howarth, James H., Grace Street, son of the above. 

Howarth, Caroline, Grace Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Howarth, Samuel Harper, Grace Street, son of the 
above. 

Jackson, Thomas (1866), near ward schoolhouse, 
bookkeeper. 

Jackson, Anna, near schoolhouse, daughter of the 
above. 

Jackson, Mrs., Southern Avenue, widow of John 

William. 
_ James, Henry, Sr. (1878), Bigham Street, quarry- 
man. 


152 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


James, Ann, Bigham Street, wife of the above. 

James, Henry, Jr., Bigham Street, son of Henry, 
Sr. 

James, Mary C., Bigham Street, wife of Henry, Jr. 

James, Henry (Minimus), Bigham Street, son of 
Henry, Jr. 

Kenah, William L. (1878), Virginia Street, clerk, 
B. & O. R.R. 

Kenah, Mary Boisol, Virginia Street, wife of the 
above. 

Kenah, Mary Elizabeth, Virginia Street, daughter 
of the above. 

Kenah, Samuel H., Virginia Street, son of the 
above. 

Kenah, William Boisol, Virginia Street, son of the 
above. 

Kenney, John P. (1878), Shiloh Street, carpenter. 

Kenney, Sarah, Shiloh Street, wife of the above. 

Kenney, Franklin, Shiloh Street, son of the above. 

Kimmel, Mrs. Mary, Norton Street, widow. 

Kimmel, George, Norton Street, son of the above. 

Kimmel, Edward, Norton Street, son of the above. 

Lefferts, James (1879), Virginia Street, insurance 
agent. 

Lefferts, Mrs., Virginia Street, wife of the above. 

Lefferts, Harry, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

List, George, Merrimac Street, painter. 

Maddox, Julian (1886), Virginia Street, clerk, in- 
cline plane. 

Marland, Alfred (1871), Grandview Avenue, mill 
manager. 

Marland, Sarah, Grandview Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Marland, Lottie, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Marland, Ignatia, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Marland, Ernest, Grandview Avenue, son of the 
above. : 

Marland, John Smith, Grandview Avenue, son of 
Mrs. Marland. 

McMillin, John S. (1853), Grandview Avenue, re- 
tired steamboat captain. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 153 


McMillin, Mary Bindley, Grandview Avenue, wife 
of the above. 

McMillin, Elmina, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

McMillin, Emily, Grandview Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

McMillin, Edwin, Grandview Avenue, son of the 
above. 

McMillin, Albion Bindley, Grandview Avenue, son 
of the above. 

Minsinger, Jacob (1879), Prospect Street, coke 
dealer. 

Minsinger, Annie Zehfuss, Prospect Street, wife of 
the above. 

Minsinger, Edith, Prospect Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Minsinger, Walter, Prospect Street, son of the 
above. 

Minsinger, John Zehfuss, Prospect Street, son of 
the above. 

Montgomery, Standish (1884), Union Street, clerk. 

Montgomery, Lucy D., Union Street, wife of the 
above, 

Montgomery, Paul Standish, Union Street, son of 
the above. 

Montgomery, Helen, Union Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Montgomery, Katherine Peddard, Union Street, 
daughter of the above. 

Neeley, Miss Margaret A., Virginia Street, sister of 
Robert. 

Paul, Mrs. Mary Storer, at Captain McMillin’s, 
widow. 

Paul, Nellie, at Captain McMillin’s, daughter of the 
above. 

Reed, Samuel G. (1878), Virginia Street, coal 
dealer. 

Reed, Margaret, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Reed, George, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Reed, Harriett, Virginia Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Eynon, Miss, Virginia Street, sister-in-law of Mr. 
Reed. 


154 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH, 


Revelvy, Paul (1872), Natchez Street, conductor 
Monongahela Incline Plane. 

Revelvy, Mary, Natchez Street, wife of the above. 

Revelvy, Robert, Natchez Street, son of the above. 

Robinson, Mrs. Mary, wife of James. 

Robinson, Irene, daughter of James and Mary. 

Robinson, Mary, daughter of James and Mary, 

Robinson, Chrissey, daughter of James and Mary 

Sadler, Orin W. (1883), Grandview Avenue, physi- 
Cian. 

Sadler, Josephine, Grandview Avenue, wife of the 
above. 

Sadler, Lucy, Grandview Avenue, daughter of the 
above. . 

Sadler, Orin W., Grandview Avenue, son of the 
above. 

Sadler, Samuel Slocum, Grandview Avenue, son of 
the above. 

Shaler, John C., Sr., Duquesne Heights, farmer. 

Shaler, Sena, Duquesne Heights, wife of the above. 

Shaler, Augusta, Duquesne Heights, daughter of 
the above. 

Shaler, John Conway, Jr., Duquesne Heights, book- 
keeper, son of John C. and Sena. 

Shaler, Nellie Bratt, Duquesne Heights, wife of 
John C,, Jr. 

Shaler, Edward Conway, Duquesne Heights, son of 
the above. 

Shaler, Harry G., Duquesne Heights, son of the 
above. 

Shaler, William Denning, Duquesne Heights, son of 
the above. 

Shaler, Edith, Duquesne Heights, daughter of 
Clarence. 

Shaler, Augusta, Duquesne Heights, daughter of 
Clarence. 

Shaler, James, Duquesne Heights, son of Clarence. 

Slocum, Mary, Grandview Avenue, sister of Mrs. 
Dr. Sadler. 

Slocum, Sarah, Grandview Avenue, sister of Mrs. 
Dr. Sadler. 

Smith,Mrs.Thomas, Virginia Street, wife of Thomas. 

Smith, Elizabeth Grace, Virginia Street, wife of 
David H. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 155 


Smith, Anna Bell, Virginia, Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Smith, George, Virginia Street, son of the above. 

Smith, Lily, Virginia Street, daughter of the above. 

Smithson, Mrs. Elizabeth A., Shiloh Street, widow. 

Smithson, Miss Edith, Shiloh Street, daughter of 
Elizabeth. 

Speer, Mrs. William, Wyoming Street, sister of Mrs. 
Brunt. 

Speer, Harry, Wyoming Street, son of Mr. and Mrs. 
William Speer. 

Speer, Aaron, Wyoming Street, son of Mr. and Mrs. 
William Speer. 

Speer, William, Wyoming Street, son of Mr. and 
Mrs. William Speer. 

Stinson, Mrs. Mary, widow, sister of William Halpin. 

Stinson, Oliver, son of Mrs. Stinson. 

Stinson, Mary, daughter of Mrs. Stinson. 

Stinson, Robert, son of Mrs, Stinson. 

Stout, Melville L., Prospect Street, bookkeeper and 
stenographer. 

Stout, Mary Bigham, Prospect Street, wife of the 
above. 

Torrence, David R., Grace ‘Street, clerk in city 
treasurer’s office. 

Torrence, Mrs. Elizabeth H., Grace Street, wife of 
the above. 

Torrence, Oscar, Grace Street, son of the above. 

Torrence, Robert, Grace Street, son of the above. 

Torrence, Elizabeth, Grace Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Torrence, Nellie, Grace Street, daughter of the 
above. 

Torrence, Alice, Grace Street, daughter of the above 

Torrence, Mrs. Mary E. (1853), Sycamore Street, 
widow, mother of David. 

Torrence, Sarah, Sycamore Street, daughter of 
Mrs. Mary E. 

Torrence, Rebecca, daughter of Mrs. Mary E. 

Torrence, Ephraim, son of Mrs. Mary E. 

Torrence, Reed, Sycamore Street, son of Mrs. Mary 


Torrence, Emma A., Sycamore Street, wife of 
Reed Torrence. 


156 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Torrence, Mary, Sycamore Street, daughter of 
Reed Torrence. 

Thompson, Mrs. Mary, Wyoming Street, daughter 
of Edward Bratt. 

Thompson, Agnes, Wyoming Street, daughter of 
Mrs. Mary Thompson. 

Whittier, Mrs. Helen, Grandview Avenue, widow, 
mother of Mrs. Samuel Harper. 

White, Hugh, Boggs Avenue. 

White, William, Boggs Avenue, driver for Mr. 
John Bindley. 

Williams, John (1885), Norton Avenue, mantel 
setter. 

Williams, Sarah, Norton Avenue, wife of the above. 

Williams, Mary Ann, Norton Avenue, daughter 
of the above. 

Williams, Alice, Norton Avenue, daughter of the 
above. 

Williams, Eliza Jane, Norton Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Williams, Martha, Norton Avenue, daughter of 
the above. 

Wilmot, Mrs. Prudence (1866), Kohlmeyer’s Lane, 
wife of George. 

Wilmot, Prudence, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter 
of the above. 

Wilmot, Fanny, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter of 
the above. 

Wilmot, Edwin, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, son of the 
above. 

Wilmot, Caroline, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, daughter of 
the above. 

Wilmot, James, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, son of the 
above. 

Wilmot, Stanley, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, son of the 
above. 

Wilmot, George, Kohlmeyer’s Lane, son of the 
above. 


— 
~~ 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 157 


FAMILIES IN THE PARISH, EASTER, 1898. 


Anderson, Harry H., Augusta Street, Duquesne 
Heights. 

Armstrong, Mrs. Elizabeth, Southern Avenue. 

Ashford, Thomas F., Sr., Bailey Avenue. 

Ashford, Thomas F., Jr., Sycamore Street. 

Alstadt, George, 52 Prospect Street. 

Armiger, James B., Sycamore Street. 

Baker, George H., Virginia Avenue. 

Barnes, Mrs. Mary A., William Street. 

Barr, Joseph, Meriden Street. 

Benbow, Mrs. Mary E., Virginia, near Kearsage. 

Bennett, Miss Emma G., 98 Boggs Avenue. 

Bigham, Kirk Q., Woodville Avenue. 

Bond, Thomas M., Lowen Place. 

Bond, William L., Sr., Virginia and Oneida. 

Bond, William L., Jr., Oneida, near Virginia. 

Bowman, Joseph, 63 Stanwix Street. 

Bowman, Joseph William, Ulysses Street. 

Boyce, John E., Joel’s Lane. 

Brown, Mrs. Kate, Bertha Street. 

Brush, George E., Grandview Avenue. 

Burrell, Mrs. Henry M., 121 Sycamore Street. 

Cartwright, Mr., Virginia, near Oneida. 

Coward, John W., Albert, near Boggs Avenue. 

Flinn, James E., 38 Natchez Street. 

Florence, James, 138 Plymouth Street. 

Gibson, The Misses, Virginia Avenue. 

Glaze, George A., 129 Bigham Street. 

Gould, Edward, Wyoming, near Sycamore. 

Groves, William, Griffin, near Boggs Avenue. 

Hall, Mrs. Mary, Sweetbrier Street. 

Hamnet, William E., Stanwix Street. 

Halpin, William, Virginia and Stanwix. 

Harper, Mrs. Helen A., Grandview and Bertha. 

Heinrichs, Christian, 105 Kearsage Street. 

Higginson, James, William Street. 

Hoppman, William, 17 Stanwix Street. 

Howarth, John, 39 Prospect Street. 

Hughes, Mrs. Annie, Natchez Street. 

Hunter, Mrs. D. K., Sycamore Street. 

James, Henry, Sr., Bigham, near Sycamore. 


158 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Johnson, George A., Cohassett Street, Duquesne 
Heights. 

Kemp, Mr., Wyola Street, Duquesne Heights. 

Kenah, William L., 27 Bigham Street. 

Kimmel, George, Hall and Gray Streets. 

Konstanzer, The Misses, 10 Oneida Street. 

Lewis, William A., 54 Ulysses Street. 

Lichel, Mrs. Jacob, Wilbert’s Way. 

Lowe, John J., Sycamore and Plymouth. 

Lowen, John, Liberty Borough, Allegheny County. 

Maddochs, Julian George, Virginia and Oneida. 

Marland, Alfred, Southern Avenue. 

Martel, Andrew K., 329 Grandview Avenue. 

Martin, William, Grace Street. 

Mason, Mrs. Frank, Virginia Avenue. 

Meahl, Philip J., 49 LaBelle Street. 

Minsinger, Mrs. Jacob, 45 Prospect Street. 

Minsinger, John, Boggs Avenue. 

Minsinger, Mrs. William, Hall and Cowan Streets. 

Moyer, Benjamin F., Greenbush Street. 

McComb, Samuel, Grandview Avenue. 

McCormick, James K., 225 Sycamore Street. 

McDonald, Mathew T., 53 Oneida Street. 

McCain, Mrs. William, Sycamore, near Plymouth. 

Needham, Henry, Sofel, near Boggs. 

Neely, Henry W., Virginia, near Stanwix. 

Neely, Miss Margaret, Virginia, near Shiloh. 

Neely, Stanley L., 22 Bertha Street. 

Newell, Robert, 229 Virginia Avenue. 

Niven, Charles, 75 Bigham Street. 

Orell, John L., 72 Oneida Street. 

Pattison, John, 51 Grace Street. 

Phillips, Miss M. L., Boggs Avenue. 

Purkey, Edward C., Grandview Avenue, Duquesne 
Heights. 

Purkey, Lewis H., Grandview Avenue, Duquesne 
Heights. 

Ream, Katherine F., Woodville Avenue. 

Reed, Samuel G., 108 Boggs Avenue. 

Reeves, Joseph N., 17 Stanwix Street. 

Revelvy, Paul K., 32 Natchez Street. 

Richards, R. R., Meriden Street. 

Ritchie, Charles F. A., Plymouth Street. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 159 


Robinson, Cyrus M., Bailey Avenue. 

Robinson, James, Grandview, near Oneida. 

Schmidt, F. R., Brownsville Avenue. 

Schornagle, Mrs. F. R., Oneida Street, Duquesne 
Heights. 

Shaler, Clarence, 70 Olympia Street. 

Shaler, Mrs. John C., 118 Sweetbrier. 

Shaler, Miss Augusta, 118 Sweetbrier. 

Slocum, George Frank, Southern Avenue. 

Small, Albert G., 250 Virginia Avenue. 

Speer, Mrs. David, Albert, near Boggs. 

Stevens, William C., Grandview and Meriden. 

Stinson, Oliver H., Bailey Avenue. 

Stinson, Robert, Wyoming Street. 

Stoer, Mrs. Mary, Church Home. 

Stout, Melville L., Woodville Avenue. 

Thompson, John M., Virginia Avenue. 

Thurston, Dr. Leon, Grandview and Bertha. 

Torrence, David R., Bertha Street. 

Torrence, Mrs. Mary E., 17 Stanwix Street. 

Turbett, Mrs. Charles A., Grandview and Shiloh. 

Voigt, Miss Viola S., Grandview and Merrimac 

Wallace, Miss Jennie L., 54 Grace Street. 

Wilmot, George, Kohlmeyer’s Lane. 

Woods, Robert A., Plymouth Street. 

Zehfuss, Phillip, Kearsage Street. 

Zelch, John L., 222 Ulysses Street. 


PARISHIONERS OF GRACE CHURCH. 
OctToBER, 1903. 


Anderson, Harry H., 56 Augusta Street, Duquesne 
Heights. 
Caroline D., wife. 
Norma Buick, daughter. 
Alstadt, Margaret Elise, 52 Prospect Street. 
Catherine Francis, sister. 
Armiger, James B., 20 Stanwix Street. . 
Ida, daughter. 
Ashford, Thomas F., 221 Sycamore Street. 
Harriett J., wife. 
Thomas Francis, Florence Elizabeth, children. 


160 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Baker, George H., Bailey Avenue. 
Viola, wife. 
Banks, Joseph, 33 Boggs Avenue. 
Rachel, wife. 
John, James, Albert, Annie, children. 
Barnes, Mrs. Mary Ann, 50 William Street. 
Thomas Barnes, William John Niell, Joseph 
Niell, Nellie Niell, children. 
Barr, Mrs. Mary J., 145 Meriden Street. 
Elizabeth C., C. Marjorie, William H., children. — 
Benbow, Mrs. Mary E., Bailey Avenue. 
Franklin Benbow, son. 
Agnes B. Biddlestone, sister. 
Bigham, Kirk Q., Woodville Avenue. 
Bigham, Thomas J., 56 LaBelle Street. 
Ida N., wife. 
Mary Newell, daughter. 
Bollinger, Mrs. F. F., 31 Bertha Street. 
Ralph Bollinger, son. 
Bond, Frank S., 1311 Virginia Avenue. 
Cornelia A., wife. 
Ethel Cornelia, daughter. 
Bond, Robert C., 1311 Virginia Avenue. 
Harriett B., wife. 
Harriett Miriam, daughter. 
Bond, Thomas G., Virginia and Oneida. 
Virginia L., wife. 
Thomas Maddocks, Blake Edward, children. 
Bond, William L., Jr., Oneida, near Virginia. 
Ida Blanche, wife. 
Layton Charles, son. 
Bond, William L., Sr., Virginia and Oneida. 
Charles Bond, son. 
Harry Butterfield, gardener. 
Bowman, Joseph, 63 Stanwix Street. 
Jane, wife. 
John F., Alfred D., Arthur H., Alice, Jennie, 
children. 
Bowman, Joseph William, 14 Bertha Street. 
Clara Ann, wife. 
William Alfred, Mary Isabel, Joseph Hunt, Rob- 
ert Neal, Florence Katherine, Grace Shepper- 
son, children. 


A HISTORY OF ‘(GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 161 


Boyce, John E., Meriden Street, near Virginia. 
Hannah Jane, wife. 
Selina B., Lilian Helen, children. 
Bradley, William, 34 Prospect Street. 
Anna E., wife. 
Frederick, Helen May, John, Horace, children. 
Brush, George E., 605 Grandview Avenue. 
Patience, wife. 
Clarence G., son; Antoinette H., adopted 
daughter. 
Burrell, Leila B., and Robert, children of Henry M., 
121 Sycamore Street. 
Clark, Mrs. Jessie B., Allegheny. 
Niel Andre, Jessie Brown, children. 
Coward, John W., Albert Street, near Boggs Avenue. 
Mary A., wife. 
Charles W., Prudence R., Violet Irene, Isabella 
Herbert, Frederick J., George Stanley, Mary 
F., John William, Eugene Yensch, children. 
Cullen, Louise, 229 Sycamore Street. 
Deise, John P., 9 Grandview Avenue. 
Ann, Leroy, Charles, children. 
Dick, Mrs. Mary E., 51 Grace Street. 
Durham, Charles H., 25 Plymouth Street. 
Edith Amelia, wife. 
Harold Manners, son. 
Dyer, Mrs. Samuel W. (Caroline), 77 Prospect Street. 
Helen Evelyn, daughter. 
Flinn, James E., 33 Natchez Street. 
Lilly V., wife. 
James E., Jr., Catherine, Caroline May, Lilly, 
Helen Constance, Charles, William, children. 
Florence, James, 1385 Plymouth Street. 
Selina, wife. 

Madge, Selina Alicia, James Stuart, children. 
Gibson, Anna, Ethel Alice, William, children of Wil- 
lam F., Westwood, Allegheny County. 

Glaze, Alfred G., West Liberty, Allegheny County. 
Sarah, George, Albert, Emily, Thomas, Harry 
James, Howard, Oliver, children. 
Gordon, Burgoyne, Woodville Avenue. 
Jane, wife. 
Muriel, daughter. 


162 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Gould, Edward, 7 Wyoming Street. 
Silence, wife. 
Edward John, son; Alice Julia, datecnent 
Griffith, Ernest, 227 Ulysses Street. 
Gladys, sister. 
Groves, Fred. H., 601 Grandview Avenue. 
Viola Sarah, wife. 
Hugh Voight, son (infant). 
Hall, Mrs. Mary, Sweetbrier Street. 
Mary, daughter. 
Hardman, Mrs., 11 Shiloh Street. 
Thomas, son. 
Hay, Mrs. Emma, 56 Merrimac Street. 
Christian David, John Meyer, sons. 
Heinrich, Matilda E., Charlotte S., Minerva, Albert 
M., children of Christian and Emma Heinrich, 
105 Kearsage Street. 
Heinrich, Christian J., 40 Alameda Street. 
Ida M., wife. 
Howarth, John, 39 Prospect Street. 
Caroline M., wife. 
James Heeley, Samuel Harper, George Minsinger, 
children. 
Hughes, Mrs. Annie (widow of William), 87 Natchez 
Streeet. 
William K., Elizabeth, Margaret, children. 
Jamieson, Mrs. Annie, 5 Plymouth Street. 
Blanche, Clarice, Catherine, Laura, Lessel, chil- 
dren. 
Keighley, Miss Lena, 236 Virginia Avenue. 
Kenah, Mrs. Mary, 26 Bigham Street. 
Samuel Henry, William Boisel, sons. 
Kent, Mr. John W., 117 Sweetbrier Street. 
Elinor, wife. 
Edith, William, Mabel, children. 
Kimmel, George, Hall and Gray Streets. 
Konstanzer, Misses Caroline and Amelia, 10 Oneida 
Street. 
Lewis, William A., 54 Ulysses Street. 
Annie, wife. 
Ralph R., Joseph J., Clarence Ross, children. 
Lichel, Mrs. Frances, Wilbert’s Way. 
Lillian Ruth, daughter. 
Lowen, John, West Liberty Borough, Allegheny 
County. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 163 


Lowe, John J., Sycamore and Plymouth. 

Elizabeth C., wife. 

Albert George, John Johnson, Wilfred Drabbel, 

Edith Cameron, Margaret Vivian, children. 

Martin, Miss Nellie (organist), Sherman Street. 
Martin, Henry, Wyoming Street and Boggs Avenue. 

Ann, wife. 

Earl, son. 
Martin, William, South Side. 

Susan, wite. 

William John, son. 

Mason, Mrs. Sarah P., 218 Virginia Street. 

Fanny C., Ruby Augusta, Olive Virginia, Earl 
Perry, George G. F., Leroy, children. 
Mears, Walter, 52 Clarence Street. 
Annie, wife. 
Daniel, William, sons. 
Milby, Mrs. Frank, 99 Southern Avenue. 
Minsinger, Mrs. Jacob (Annie), 45 Prospect Street. 
Edith Luretta, Walter James, John Zehfuss, 
Blanche Olivette, Marjorie Grace, Annie Ruth, 
Ethel Lois, Mabel Caroline, children. 
Minsinger, Walter J., 46 Cowan Street. 
Lillie, wife. 
Walter Jacob, son. 

Minsinger, Mrs. Eliza (widow of William), Hall and 
Cowan Streets. 

Sarah Caroline, Elmer H., Edith Elizabeth, Mary 
Blanche, children. 

Morgan, John Clemens, 70 Wyoming Street. 

Moyer, Florence E., Esther M., Alma L., Frank, chil- 
dren of Benjamin F. Moyer, 43 Greenbush 
Street. 

MacDonald, Sarah, Harry C., Allan S., children of 
Mathew T. MacDonald, 83 Oneida Street. 

McCombe, Harry M., 1207 Grandview Avenue. 

McKain, Mrs. Margaret H., 137 Bigham Street. 

J. Lewis, Jeannette, Ella M., Anna F., children. 

Nau, Mrs. Caroline, Kohlmeyer’s Lane. 

Frederick, Charles, sons. 
Needham, Henry, Soffel, near Boggs Avenue. 
Catherine, Josephine, Harry, Joseph, Edna, 
children. 
Neely, Miss Margaret, Virginia, near Shiloh. 
Neely, Miss Jennie, 310 Sycamore Street. 


164 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Newell, Robert, 229 Virginia Avenue. 
Mary, wife. 
Annie, James, children. 
Niven, Mrs. Jane, 75 Bigham Street. 
Howard T., William S., sons; Jean Fulton, 
adopted daughter. 
Pattison, John, 51 Grace Street. 
Rachel, wife. 
Rachel Anderson, Louise Carnegie, Grace Mor- 
rison, children. 
Patton, John J., 231 Sycamore Street. 
Minnie E., wife. 
Herbert W., son (infant). 
Proeger, Julius H., 134 Sycamore Street. 
Ida, wife. 
Edgar Waggoner, son. 
Purkey, Edward C., 1302 Grandview Avenue. 
Amanda, wife. 
Elizabeth A., Thomas George, Edward Dallas, 
Marie Coster, children. 
Purkey, Lewis H., 1302 Grandview Avenue. 
Martha, wife. 
Ream, Katherine F., Woodville Avenue and Merri- 
mac Street. 
Reed, Samuel G., 108 Boggs Avenue. 
Revelvy, Paul, 32 Natchez Street. 
Mary, wife. 
Robert, son. 
Ritchie, Charles F. A., Sycamore and Plymouth. 
Harriett E., wife. 
Elizabeth F., daughter. 
Schornagle, Mrs. F. K., 126 Plymouth Street. 
Anthony, Louise, children. 
Searight, Frank B., 143 Meriden Street. 
Shaler, Miss Augusta L., 118 Sweetbrier Street. 
Shaler, Miss Augusta M., 70 Olympia Street. 
Shaler, Mrs. Nellie R., widow of John C., 118 Sweet- 
brier Street. 
William Denning, son. 
Speer, Mrs. David, Albert street, near Boggs Avenue. 
Florence, Edyson, children. 
Stevens, Mrs. William C., 1107 Grandview Avenue. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 165 


Stewart, John, Sweetbrier Street. 
Martha, wife. 
William, Martha, children. 
Stinson, Mrs. Anna M., Bailey Avenue. 
Anna Margarite, Grace, children. 
Stinson, Robert, 307 Kearsage Street. 
Mary W., wife. 
Stoehr, Mrs. Mary, Church Home. 
Stout, Melville L., Woodville Avenue. 
Mary A., wife. 
Maria Louise, Constance C., Melville B., Dorothy 
K., children. 
Thompson, John M., 206 Virginia Avenue. 
Mary Elizabeth, wife. 
William, son. 
Thurston, Dr. Leon, 333 Grandview Avenue. 
Sarah B., wife. 
Leon, son. 
Timmins, Mrs. Ada, Wellwood Street. 
Torrence, Mrs. Mary E., 17 Stanwix Street. 
Rebecca, Sarah, Ephraim, children. 
Turbett, Mrs. Charles A., Grandview Avenue, near 
Shiloh. 
Albert C., son. 
Van Allen, Clifford, 216 Virginia Avenue. 
Waggoner, Frank G., 224 Sycamore Street. 
Harriett, wife. 
Earl P., Ida, children. 
Wallace, Miss Jennie L., 54 Grace Street. 
Ward, Miss Nellie, Hall and Cowan Streets. 
Wilmot, Mrs. George, Kohlmeyer’s Lane. 
James, Stanley F., George, children. 
Whitehead, James, 81 Wyoming Street. 
Annie, wife. 
Harold Earl, son. 
Zehfuss, Edward M., Vinecliff Street. 
Martha, wife. 
Hazel Ada, daughter. 
Zehfuss, Phillip, Kearsage Street. 
Louisa, wife. 
Gertrude M., Ada Wilhelmina, daughters. 
Zelch, John L., Jr., Florence E., Upton S., children 
of John L., 222 Ulysses Street. 


166 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


BAPTISMS, 


Grace CHurcH, Mount WASHINGTON, PITTSBURGH, 
1852-1903. 


By THE Rev. James A. STONE. 


February 8, 1852: 
George, son of Benjamin and Frances White, born 
November 17, 1851. 
Isabella, daughter of Capt. Thomas H. and Sarah 
M. Golding, born December 20, 1850. 
May 15, 1852: . 
Emily Neely, adult, aged 18 years. 
Eliza Everson, adult, aged 17 years. 
Eliz Jane Stubbs, aged 16 years. 
Mary Rebecca Wilson, aged 11 years. 
Ellen Stubbs, aged 12 years. 
December 25, 1852: 
Howard Chivers, son of George and Olive Chivers, 
born July 19, 1850. 
March 22, 1853: 
Kate Lowen, daughter of George and Mary Lowen, 
born January 22, 1853. 
Edward Stubbs, son of Richard and Dinah Stubbs, 
born August 16, 1842. 
April 20, 1853: 
Homan Walter Leslie, son of William O. and Bertha 
Leslie, born December 6, 1848. 
Selma Elizabeth Leslie, daughter of William O. and 
Bertha Leslie, born September 28, 1850. 
Victor James Leslie, son of William O. and Bertha 
Leslie, born December 28, 1852. 
Ella S. Chivers, daughter of George and Olive 
Chivers, born July 10, 1852. 


By THE Rev. JouHn G. Furey, REcTorR. 


July 31, 1853: 
Margaret A. Neely and Robert Neely, children of 
Wilson Neely. (Date of birth not given.) 


By THE Rey. RICHARD SMITH, RECTOR. 


June 10, 1854: 
Mary Ann Bigham, daughter of Thomas J. and 
Maria L. Bigham, born March 29, 1854. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 167 


Mary Rebecca Torrence, daughter of Robert and 
Mary E. Torrence, born March 31, 1854. 
Mary Ann Rossiter, daughter of Thomas and 
Emily Rossiter. (Date of birth not given.) 
George Washington Good. (Parents and date of 
birth not given.) 
August —, 1854: 
Zulima Matilda Leslie. (Parents and date of birth 
not given.) 
September 13, 1854: 
Ephraim Reese. (Parents and date of birth not 
given.) 
March 23, 1856: 
George Chivers, adult. (Parents and date of 
birth not given.) 


By THE Rev. J. SEBASTIAN HopGEs. 


August 1, 1856: 

Martha Elizabeth and Mary Ann Jones, twin 
daughters of Timothy and Hannah Jones, born De- 
cember 13, 1855. 

Mary Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Isaac and Eliza 
Smith, born May 2, 1856. 

William Henry Dill, born May 27, 1847; Mary Ann 
Dill, born February 2, 1852; Nancy Jane Dill, born 
—, 1854; children of Samuel and Eliza Dill. 

September 28, 1856: 

John Conway Shaler, born October 13, 1843; Au- 
gusta Shaler, born —, 1844; children of John C. 
and Sena Shaler, of Duquesne Heights. 

Robert Reese Torrence, son of Robert and Mary 
E. Torrence, born August 3, 1856. 

Sophia Wilbert, daughter of Peter and Catherine 
Wilbert, born May 18, 1856. 

Henry Clay Rossiter, son of Thomas and Emily 
Rossiter, born July 9, 1856. 

September 28, 1856: 

Margaretta Wood Petticord, born July 9, 1850; 
Amelia Smith Petticord, born December 10, 1853; 
Clara Kate Petticord, born January 24, 1856; children 
of John and Sarah P. Petticord. 

April 19, 1857: 

Eliza Augusta Bigham, daughter of Thomas J. and 

Maria L. Bigham, born January 31, 1857. 








168. A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


By tHe Rev. C. W. Quick, Rector. 


May 10, 1857: 
Sumners T. Leslie, son of William O. and Bertha 
Leslie, born July 14, 1856. 
Emma Nelson, daughter of Thomas and Charity 
Nelson, born May 19, 1857. 
Radcliff Langdon, son of William and Jane Lang- 
don. (Date of birth not given.) 
November 26, 1857: 
Mary Elizabeth Jackson, daughter of William and 
Sarah Jackson, born March 25, 1857. 
February 14, 1858: 
Sarah Goldthorp, daughter of Samuel and Sarah 
Goldthorp, born September 22, 1857. 
March 14, 1858: 
John Jones, son of Timothy and Hannah Jones. 
(Date of birth not given.) 
April 4, 1858: 
May Evelina Dodd, daughter of John and — 
Dodd, (Date of birth not given.) 
July 11, 1858: 
Harriett Chivers, daughter of George and Olive 
Chivers, born December 19, 1857. 
September 19, 1858: 
Sarah Jane Smith, daughter of Isaac and Eliza 
Smith, born May 31, 1858. 


By THE Rev. JuBaLt HopcEs. 


May 1, 1859: 
Ann Louisa Beresly, daughter of William and Eliza- 
beth Beresly, born February 15, 1859. 
Margaret Elizabeth Torrence, daughter of Robert 
and Mary E. Torrence, born September 22, 1858. 


By tHe Rev. E. M. Van DuSEN. 


October 9, 1859: 

Maria Louise Bigham, daughter of Thomas J. and 
Maria L. Bigham, born July 29, 1859. 

Mary Isabella Tomlinson, daughter of John and 
Margaret Tomlinson, born February 6, 1859. 

Agnes Maria Young, daughter of John and Amy 
Young, born May 11, 1857. 

Hannah Elizabeth Langdon, daughter of William 
and Jane Langdon, born August 8, 1859. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 169 


Jane Neely Rossiter, daughter of Thomas and Emily 
Rossiter, born June 20, 1859. 

Joseph George Pare, born February 1, 1854; Wil- 
liam Richard Pare, born May 15, 1856; Henry John 
Pare, born September 13, 1858; children of William 
and Caroline Pare. 


By THE Rev. JuBAL Hopces. 


September 2, 1860: 

Elvirah Luella Tyler, daughter of Henry and Char- 
lotte Tyler, born September 30, 1859. 

(No baptisms recorded in Parish Register between 
September 2, 1860 and October 4, 1863.) 

October 5, 1863: 

Sarah Isabella Bond, daughter of William L. and 
Anna M. Bond. Sponsors, Belle Golding and Julian 
Maddox. (Date of birth and the name of the offi- 
ciating clergyman not given.) 

January 22, 1866: 

Mary Ellenor Bond, daughter of William L. and 
Anna M. Bond. (Clergyman and date of birth not 
given.) 

April 22, 1866: 

Julian George Bond, son of William L. and Anna 
M. Bond, born April 7, 1866. Baptized in private 
by Rev. Simon G. Fuller, and received into church 
September 16, 1866, by the Rev. B. B. Killikelly, 
rector. 

Alice Dean Deakin, daughter of Henry and Han- 
nah Deakin, born October 12,1865. Sponsors, Thomas 
J. Bigham and Agnes Davis. Officiating priest, Rev. 
Simon G. Fuller. 


By tHE Rev. B. B. Kitiixetty, D. D., Recror. 


May 27, 1866 (Trinity Sunday): 

Harriett Mary Hibbs, daughter of Samuel and 
Alice Hibbs, born September 26,1865. Sponsors, Rob- 
ert and Dorothy Trotter. 

June 17, 1866: 

Mary Jane Campbell, wife of Campbell, nee 
Balbridge, born in Greensburg, Pa. Witnesses, Mrs. 
M. L. Bigham and Mrs. Phebe A. McMillin. 





170 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 26, 1866: 
Grace Elizabeth Mendenhall, daughter of Charles 
and Mary L. Mendenhall, of Kittanning, Pa., born 
January 24,1865. Sponsors, parents and Miss Nettie 
Mendenhall. 


July 1, 1866: 
Rhoda Blanton, daughter of Charles and Susan 
Blanton, born July 2, 1865. 
Edward George Wilmot, son of George and Pru- 
dence Wilmot, born June 13, 1866. 


July 10, 1866: 

Capt. John Smith McMillin, adult, born July 23, 
1817; baptized in Grace Church at the funeral of’ his 
first wife, Phebe A. McMillin, and beside her remains, 
the Rev. Dr. Page assisting the rector and Dr. L. H. 
Harris and Mr. McKnight being witnesses. 


July 29, 1866: 
Yates Lowen Shannon, son of Thomas and Mar- 
garet Shannon, born March 24, 1866. 
Agnes Washington Hughes, daughter of William 
and Agnes Hughes, born June 29, 1866. 


September 23, 1866: 

Bergan Brokaw Craig, adult, born June 11, 1844. 

Phebe Craig, wife of above, adult, born May 5, 1846. 

Witnesses for both, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blanton 
and Mrs. Minsinger. 

Julia Ann Craig, daughter of Bergan B. and Phebe 
Craig, born August 31, 1866. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. Charles Blanton. 


January 6, 1867: 

Samuel Marlow Pare, son of William and Caroline 
Pare, born November 27, 1866. Sponsors, parents 
and John Pare, the grandfather. 

Sarah Elizabeth Cain, son of James and Mary A. 
Cain, born November 26, 1866. 

Albert Parks Smith, son of Isaac and Eliza Smith, 
born October 25, 1866. 

Sarah Amanda Summerfield, daughter of Richard 
and Hannah M. Pare, born December 16, 1865. 

Sponsors for above five children, the parents and 
their grandfather, John Pare. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. BUA 


March 17, 1867: 
David Campbell, son of Alexander and Mary J. 
Campbell, born March 27, 1864. Sponsors, the 
mother and Mrs. T. J. Bigham. 


By THE Rev. RoBert JoHN CosTER, REcTOR. 


September 27, 1868: 

Annie Halpin Hughes, daughter of William and 

Annie Hughes, born April 2, 1868. 
January 24, 1869: 
._ Thomas Golding Bond, son of William L. and Annie 

M. Bond, born August 16, 1868. Sponsors, parents 
and Mrs. Mary Golding, the grandmother. 

Robert James Hibbs, son of Samuel and Alice 
Hibbs, born December 13, 1868. Sponsors, George 
and Prudence Wilmot. 

May 10, 1869: 

George Wilmot Smith, son of Isaac and Eliza Smith, 
age about six months. Sponsors, Prudence and Re- 
becca Wilmot. 

July 10, 1869: 

Nellie Ruth Bratt, adult, daughter of Edward and 
Jane Bratt. (Date of birth not given.) Witness, 
Belle Golding. 

September 5, 1869: 

Ida May, daughter of 
ary 18, 1869. 

Charles Shaler Minsinger, son of Minsinger, 
born June 26, 1869. Sponsors, Caroline Minsinger 
and Mrs. Kate Good. 

Anna Mary Woods, daughter of John and Dorothy 
Woods, born July 7, 1869. : 

September 19, 1869: 

Mary Ann Hunter, daughter of Thomas and Mary 
Jane Hunter, born July 2, 1869. 

Sarah Jane Pickard, daughter of William and Mar- 
garet Pickard, born September 3, 1869. 

April 12, 1870: 

Frank Speer Brunt, son of William H. and Annie 
L. Brunt, born September 28, 1869. Sponsors, Wil- 
liam M. Speer and parents. 


, born Febru- 











172 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 12, 1870: 
Mary Main, born March 24, 1870. 
November 13, 1870: 

James Potter, son of Charles and Margaret Potter, 

about 8 months old. 
March 19, 1871: 

Edith Shaler Millingar, Nellie Shaler Millingar, Em- 
ma Millingar, Mary Millingar. (Dates of birth not 
given.) Children of Harry and Emma Millingar. 
Sponsors, mother and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. 
Edward Bratt, Sr. 

William Murdock, born March 26, 1870; Mary Mur- 
doch, born January 4, 1868; children of William and 
Annie M. Murdoch. Sponsors, parents and grand- 
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bratt, Sr. 

William Prosser, son of George and Honora J. 
Prosser, born September 27, 1870, in Birmingham, 
Pan 

Mrs. Palmer, adult. Witnesses, Mr. Ed. 
Bratt, Sr., and Mrs. R. J. Coster. 

March 28, 1871: 

Nettie Aldo Davitt, adult. Witnesses, John C. 

Davitt, her husband, and Mrs. Bindley Johnson. 
June 4, 1871: 

William Luke Bond, son of William L. and Annie 
M. Bond, born February 28, 1871. Sponsors, Thomas 
J. Bigham and parents. 

July 3, 1871: 

Patrick Henry Winston, son of P. H. and Jennie 

Winston, age about 4 months. 
July 9, 1871: 

John Fulton, son of David and Isabell L. Fulton, 
born February 18, 1871. 

Mary Hannah Robinson, daughter of William and 
Margaret Robinson, born April 5, 1871. 

Frank Joseph Beardsley, son of William and Eliza- 
beth Beardsley, born March 19, 1871. 

October 15, 1871: 

Mary Alberta Torrence, daughter of David R. 
and Elizabeth Torrence, born June 8, 1871. 

Edward Conway Shaler, son of John C. and Nellie 
R. Shaler, born June 9, 1871. Sponsors, the grand- 
father, Edward Bratt, Sr., and parents. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 173 


October 29, 1871: 

Margaret Hunter, daughter of Thomas and Mary 

Jane Hunter, of Saw Mill Run, born August 17, 1871. 
November 12, 1871: 

Emily McMillin, daughter of John S. and Mary B. 
McMillin, born February 27, 1871. Sponsor, Mrs. 
Zebina Johnson, her aunt. 

Andrew Barr Hughes, son of Wiliiam and Annie 
Hughes, born November 10, 1869. 

Elizabeth Hopper Hughes, daughter of William 
and Annie Hughes, born April 29, 1871. 

January 21, 1872: 

George William Hibbs, son of Samuel and Alice 
Hibbs, born September 20, 1871. 

Frederick George Fitton Wilmot, born September 
15, 1871; Caroline Amelia Wilmot, born September 
28, 1°69; children of George and Prudence R. Wilmot. 

Ella Reed Cane, daughter of James and Mary Ann 
Cane, born September 1, 1871. Sponsors, Elizabeth 
Measmer and William Reed. 

John Carnahan Davitt, son of John C. and Nettie 
Davitt, born March 4, 1868. Sponsor, George H. 
Hilderbrand. 

March 24, 1872: 

Elizabeth Torrence, adult. Witnesses, David R. 
Torrence, her brother, and the congregation. 

John Owen Prosser, son of George and Honoria 
Prosser, born on Mount Washington, February 9, 
1872. 

Ignatia Marland, daughter of Alfred and Sarah 
Marland, born November 4, 1871. 

April 21, 1872: 

Robert Campbell, son of Robert and Esther M. 
Campbell, born November 24, 1871. Sponsors, 
Joseph Nicholson and T. Hunter. 

William John Howarth, son of John and Elizabeth 
C. Howarth, born January 18, 1872. Sponsors, Wil- 
liam and S. E. Minsinger. uncles. 


By THE Rev. B. B. KiLuike.ty, BD. D. 


June 2, 1872 (at morning service): 
Matilda Irwin, daughter of Walter and Maria Ir- 
win, born November 10, 1871. 
John Boustead, son of John and Mary A. Boustead, 
born February 8, 1872. 


174 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


By THE Rev. RoBert JoHN Coster, REcTOR. 


June 9, 1872: 

George Harry Marland, son of Henry and Eliza- 

beth Marland, born March 7, 1872. 
November 3, 1872: 

Margaret Jane Laing, daughter of David and Mary 
Ann Laing, born July 26, 1870. 

William Henry Laing, son of David and Mary Ann 
Laing, born July 29, 1872. 

December 22, 1872: 

Samuel Goldthorp Steele, son of Thomas W. and 
Mary G. Steele, born June 14, 1872. Sponsors, Mrs. 
Sarah Goldthorp and Mrs. Steele, the grandmothers, 

February 2, 1873: 

Margaret Richmond Davitt, daughter of John C. 

and Nettie A. Davitt, born June 8, 1872. 
June 1, 1873: 

Samuel John Hibbs,son of Samuel and isigae Hibbs, 
born October 4, 1874, Sponsor, Elizabeth William. 
(Rev. S. B. Moore officiated in the place of the rector.) 

Robert Coster Bond, son of William L. and Annie 
M. Bond, born Februay 12, 1873. Sponsors, Mrs. 
Mary Golding and Julian Maddox. 

Mrs. Mary Montgomery Speer, adult, aged about 
30 years. Witnesses, her husband and Mrs. Mary 
Goldthorp. 

September 28, 1873: 

John Bindley McMillin, son of John S. and Mary 
B. McMillin, born February 26, 1873. Sponsor, 
John Bindley, his uncle. 

James Hartley Holland, son of Thomas and Ellen 
Holland, aged about 5 months. Sponsors, Thomas 
and Rebecca Berry. 

December 21, 1873: 

Grace Revelvy, daughter of Paul and Mary Rev- 

elvy, born May 20, 1873. 
December 28, 1873: 

Lancelot Robinson, son of William and Margaret 
L. Robinson, about 6 weeks old. 

Margaret Ann Fulton, daughter of David L. and 
Isabella L. Fulton, born September 14, 1873. Spon- 
sors, William and Margaret L. Robinson. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 175 


William John Jackson Skipp, son of William and 
Barbara A. J. Skipp, born September 1, 1872. Spon- 
sors, David and Isabella Fulton. 

February 22, 1874: 

Robert Edward Parry, son of Robert and Mary 
Parry, born October 2, 1873. Sponsors, William and 
Margaret Robinson. (English people.) 

April 19, 1874: 

Lida Gehring Marland, daughter of Henry and 
Elizabeth Marland, born January 14, 1874. Spon- 
sor, Miss Lida Gehring. 


By BisHop KERFOOT. 


May 31, 1874: 

William Hooper Coster, son of Rev. Robert John 
and Helena Marie Coster, born in Pittsburgh, Feb- 
ruary 4, 1870. Baptized May 1, 1870, at home, dur- 
ing illness, by the Bishop, and received into the 
Church on this date. Sponsors, parents and Miss 
Kate Goldthorp. 

Charles Calvert Coster, son of Rev. Robert John 
and Helena M. Coster, born February 17, 1874. 
Sponsors, Henry L. Mason and Miss Margaret Gehr- 
ing. 

Mary Louisa Noble, born December 1, 1868; Wil- 
liam F. Noble, born February 18, 1871; children of 
George and Mary E. Noble, of Mount Washington. 
Sponsors, the parents. 

Ernest Whitworth Marland, son of Alfred and 
Sarah Marland, born May 8, 1874. Sponsors, Wil- 
liam L. and Annie M. Bond. 


By THE Rey. RoBERT JOHN CosTER, REcTOR. 


June 14, 1874: 

George Thomas Price, born January 4, 1870; Mary 
Maud Price, born January 29, 1872; Joseph W. 
Price, born December 17, 1873; children of John 
and Charlotte Price, and grandchildren of George 
T. Lowen. Sponsors, Miss Kate Goldthorp, Mrs. 
Mary Goldthorp and grandfather, George T. Lowen. 

George Thomas Foggin, born November 10, 1872; 
Charlotta Foggin, born March 6, 1874; children of 
Charles and Charlotta Foggin. Sponsors, John Pare 
and Mrs. Mary A. Cane. 


176 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Virginia Elizabeth Cane, daughter of James and 
Mary A. Cane, born September 1, 1872. Sponsors, 
John and Sarah A. Pare. 

Charles Albert Wilmot, son of George and Pru- 
dence Wilmot, born September 23, 1872. Sponsors, 
Samuel and Alice Hibbs, 

Joseph Boustead, son of John and Mary Ann Bou- 
stead, born April 4, 1874. 

Isabella Robson Horsley, daughter of William T. 
and Mary Horsley, born August 8, 1873. 

July 19, 1874: 

Daniel Davis Bigham, son of Joel L. and Sarah Big- 
ham, born February 18, 1874. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham, the grandparents. 

September 4, 1874: 

Charles Edward Porter, son of Charles and 

Porter, born August —, 1874. 
September 7, 1874: 

Sarah Ann Beardsley, daughter of William Jacob 

and Mary M. Beardsley, born January 2, 1874. 
October 4, 1874: 

Sarah Ann Berry, daughter of Thomas and Re- 
becca Berry, born June 20, 1874. Sponsors, Jane 
Clark and William and Mathew Jackson. 

Elizabeth Zehfuss, adult. Witnesses, Jane Clark 
and William and Mathew Jackson. 

March 7, 1875: 

James Edward Bratt, son of Edward Bratt, Jr. 
(Date of birth not given.) Sponsors, his grand- 
parents, Edward and Jane Bratt. 

March 28, 1875: 

Edwin Josiah McMillin, son of John S. and Mary 
B. McMillin, born October 20, 1874. Sponsor, Jo- 
siah Bindley, uncle. 

Geroline Milligan, daughter of Adam A. and Nan- 
nie Milligan, born September 5, 1874. Sponsors, 
Charles M. and Lida Gehring. 

June 20, 1875: 

Mary Alice Howarth, daughter of John and Eliza- 
beth C. Howarth, born January 23, 1875 (the Rev. 
S. H. Griffith officiating in the place of the rector.) 

August 29, 1875: 

Harry Peterson Speer, son of Mr, and Mrs. William 
Speer, born January 23, 1875. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. Harry Peterson. 





EE 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. Le 


October 3, 1875: 

Sarah Goldthorp Steele, daughter of Thomas and 
Mary Steele, born April 18, 1875. Sponsors, her 
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Goldthorp. 

February 6, 1876: 

Ralph Revelvy, son of Paul and Mary Revelvy, 
born July 19, 1875. Sponsors, William Halpin and 
parents. 

March 9, 1876: 

Robert Gale Prosser, son of George and Honoria 
Prosser, born September 14, 1874. Sponsor, Grand- 
father Prosser. 

April 6, 1876: 

Annie Zehfuss, adult. Witness, Mrs. Kate Dermitt. 

Mary Ann McCloud, daughter of Mr. Mc- 
Cloud. (Date of birth not given.) Sponsors, Mar- 
garet and Mary Marland. 

April 9, 1876: 

Mary Belle Linton, daughter of David and Isabell 
Linton, born January 15, 1876. 

William Linsley, son of William and Elizabeth 
Linsley, born January 5, 1875. 

Margaret Ann Robinson, daughter of William and 
Margaret Robinson, born May 15, 1875. 

Sponsors of the three, Mr. Fenwick and Elizabeth 
Shotten. 

July 23, 1876: 

Mary Elizabeth Marland, daughter of Henry and 
Sarah Marland, born March 15, 1876. Sponsors, Al- 
fred and Sarah Marland. 

September 3, 1876: 

Mabel Mary Higgs, daughter of Arthur and Lydia 
Higgs, born April 19, 1876. Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. 
W. H. Litzenberg. 

October 1, 1876: 

Floyd Martin Cain, son of James and Mary Ann 
Cain, born January 4, 1876. Sponsor, Samuel Hibbs. 

Albert Edward Hibbs, son of Samuel and Alice 
Hibbs, born October 10, 1875. 

February 4, 1877: 

Julian Roy Tanner, son of Henry A. and Caroline 

H. Tanner, born February 4, 1876. 





178 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


March 1, 1877: 

Robert Torrence, son of David R. and Elizabeth 
Torrence, at the home of the parents, in consequence 
of illness. (Date of birth not recorded.) 

April 20, 1877: 

Izetta Eleanor Jones, born October 31, 1873; Jesse 
Albert Jones, born February 7, 1875; Cora Belle Jones, 
born February 7, 1877; children of Richard and Isa- 
bella Jones; at the home of the parents, No. 10 Gib- 
son Street. Sponsors for all three, Mrs. T. T. Ewens 
and the parents. 

une is, 1S 70: 

Madillion Coyle, daughter of , about 
ll years old. Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Dermitt. 

Helena Marie Dermitt, daughter of Edwin H. and 
Sarah G. Dermitt, born December 11, 1876. Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Goldthorp, grandparents. ~ 

William Denning Shaler, son of John C. and Nellie 
R. Shaler, born November 26, 1876. Sponsors, Ed- 
ward Bratt, Sr., grandfather, and Mrs. Mary Thomp- 
son, aunt. 

October 30, 1877: 

Florence Shepherd, aged 5 years. (Name of par- 

ents and date of birth not recorded.) 
November 25, 1877: 

Cecil Dunbar Shepherd, 13 months old. (Name of 

parents and date of birth not recorded.) 
December 9, 1877: 

Joseph Robinson, son of William and Margaret Rob- 
inson. (Date of birth not recorded.) Sponsor, 
David Fulton. ' 

Harriett Lindsley, daughter of William and Eliza 
Lindsley. (Date of birth not given.) Sponsor, 
David Fulton. 

March 31, 1878: 

Samuel Henry Kenah, born December 15, 1871; 
William Boisol Kenah, born June 15, 1875; children 
of William L. and Mary Kenah. 

February 4, 1879: 

Annie Belle Smith, daughter of David and Eliza- 
beth Smith, aged 2 months; at their home. Sponsor, 
Mrs. E. H. Dermitt. 








———_- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 179 


Annie Mary Trotter, age 5 months, daughter of 
Robert and Dorothy Trotter; at their home, Mount 
Washington. Sponsor, Mrs. E. H. Dermitt. 

February 10, 1879: 

Marcella Olga Kirk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Kirk. (Date of birth not given.) Sponsor, Miss 
Olga Kirk, aunt. 

Mary Zehfuss, adult, age 16 years. Witness, Mrs. 
E. H. Dermitt. 

April 11, 1879: 

Annie Laurie Crow, about 8 years old; Samuel 
Crow, about 5 years old. Sponsors for both, Mr. and 
Mrs. T. J. Bigham; at their home, Grandview Avenue. 

April 20, 1879: 

Stanley Fitton Wilmot, son of George and Pru- 
dence R. Wilmot, born August 9, 1878. Sponsors, 
Joseph Newell and Robert and Mary Kelly. 

May 25, 1879: 

Albion Steele McMillin, son of John S. and Mary B. 
McMillin, born December 24, 1878. Sponsor, Albion 
Bindley, uncle. 

July 6, 1879: 

Anna Isabella Dixon, daughter of George and Mary 
Sophia Dixon, born March 4, 1879. Sponsors, Wii- 
liam and Dorothy Stevenson and Elizabeth Aitken, 

July 13, 1879: 

Joseph Walter Bond, son of William L. and Anna 
M. Bond, born October 11, 1878; at the home of 
the parents. Sponsor, Miss Mary Bigham. 

August 31, 1879: 

Eliza Jane Fulton, daughter of David and Isabella 
Fulton, of Baldwin Township, born May 12, 1879. 
Sponsor, William Lindsley. 

William Lindsley, son of William and Eliza Linds- 
ley, born May 4, 1879. Sponsor, David Fulton. 

September 14, 1879: 

Samuel Hall Goldthorp Dermitt, son of Edward H. 
and Sarah Dermitt, born June1l, 1879. Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Goldthorp, grandparents. 

Bessie Douglas Goldthorp, daughter of Joshua and 
Margaret Goldthorp, born March 11, 1879. Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Goldthorp, grandparents. 





180 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 28, 1879: 

Mary Davis Bigham, daughter of Joel L. and Sarah 

Bigham, born June 16, 1879. 
February 20, 1880: 

Elizabeth Phillips, adult, aged 18 years, resident 
of Uniontown, Pa. Witnesses, Mrs. R. J. Coster and 
Mrs. J. S. McMillin. 

February 27, 1880: 

Allen A. Milligan, son of Adam A. and Nannie Mil- 
ligan, born January 8, 1880. Sponsor, Miss Lida 
Gehring. 

Adaline Milligan, daughter of Adam A. and Nannie 
Milligan, born —, 1876. Baptized privately 
2 years ago and to-day received into the church. 

March 19, 1880: 

William Hughes, born —, 1876; Margaret 
Hughes, born —, 1873; children of William 
and Annie Hughes. Sponsors for both, Miss Mary 
A. Bigham and parents. 

March 21, 1880: 

Samuel Hall Goldthorp, adult, aged about 65 years. 
Witnesses, Mrs. Sarah Goldthorp, his wife, and Mrs. 
Mary Steele, his danghter. 

James Bennett Boggs, adult, son of late Samuel 
S. Boggs, of Boggs Avenue, city, aged 26 years; at the 
residence of Samuel H. Goldthorp, Wyoming Street, 
Mount Washington. Witnesses, Mrs. Sarah Gold- 
thorp and her daughter, Miss Sarah Goldthorp. 

April 18, 1880: 

James Heeley Howarth, born October 23, 1877; 
Caroline Howarth, born February 28, 1880; chil- 
dren of John and Caroline Howarth. 

April 25, 1880: 

Frances Louise Acor, daughter of Edward F. and 
Ella G. Acor, born December 10, 1879; baptized at 
the home of the parents, 4:30 P. M. 

November 14, 1880: 

Edith Luretta Minsinger, daughter of Jacob and 
Annie Minsinger, born August 21, 1880. Sponsors, 
David Smith and Mary Zehfuss. 

Edna Brown Croner, daughter of Abraham G. and 
Mary Croner, born July 1, 1880. Sponsors, Alfred and 
Sarah Marland, grandparents. 











aa 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 181 


Florence Smith, daughter of David and Emma 
Smith. (Date of birth not recorded.) Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. Patch. 

Charles Sidney Lane, son of Henry A. and Anna G. 
Lane, born September 5, 1876; at residence of his 
parents, 4 P. M. Sponsors, Miss Ida Smith and the 
mother. 

November 28, 1880: 

Martha Marland, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth 
Marland, born October 31, 1880. Sponsors, Julius 
Marland and Annie Fitton. 

December 19, 1880: 

Sarah Caroline Minsinger, daughter of William D- 
and Sarah E. Minsinger, born November 26, 1880; 
privately, at the residence of her parents, at 5 P. M. 
Sponsors, Mrs. T. J. Bigham and Mrs. Minsinger, her 
paternal grandmother, 

December 26, 1880: 

Sadie Glaze, daughter of George A. and Emily 
Glaze, born August 30, 1880, Sponsors, Mrs. Henry 
James, the paternal grandmother, and Amy Glaze, an 
aunt. 

April 3, 1881: 

George Thomas Smith, son of David H. and Eliza- 
beth G.Smith. (Date of birth not recorded.) Spon- 
sor, Mary Zehfuss. 

June 19, 1881: 

Lilian Goldthorp Dermitt, daughter of Edwin H. 
and Kate Dermitt, born January 3, 1881. Sponsors, 
Samuel H. Goldthorp, maternal grandfather, and 
Miss Lilian Goldthorp, an aunt. 

October 12, 1881: 

Arthur Herrod, son of Thomas and Arabella Her- 
tod, aged 4 months; privately at parents’ home, 180 
Fourth Avenue. 

October 16, 1881: 

Clara Fulton, daughter of David and Isabella Ful- 
ton, born August 20, 1880. Sponsors, Joseph and 
Annie Robinson. 

Samuel Lindsley, son of William and Eliza Lindsley, 
born July 23, 1881. Sponsors, Joseph and Annie 
Robinson. 


182 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Charles Wilmot Coward, son of John W. and Mary 
Coward, born August 16, 1881. Sponsor, Prudence 
Wilmot, an aunt. 

October 23, 1881: 

Roland Lee Goldthorp, son of Joshua and Margaret 
Goldthorp, born May 15, 1881. Sponsor, his grand- 
father, Samuel H. Goldthorp. 

Elizabeth Torrence, daughter of David R. and 
Eilzabeth Torrence. (Date of birth not given.) 

November 27, 1881: 

Lilly Marland, daughter of Cores and Ann Mar- 
land, born July 14, 1881. 

December 25, 1881 (Christmas Day service) : 

Frank Washington Gillard, son of William and 
Emma Gilliard, age 4 years. 

William Alexander Gillard, son of William and 
Emma Gillard, age 8 months. 

February 26, 1882: 

Alfred Rice, son of Harry and Hannah Rice, born 
December 13, 1881. Sponsors, Thomas and Annie 
Byers. 

March 15, 1882: 

Alberta Martell, daughter of Andrew K. and Mar- 
garet Martell, born October 13, 1881. Sponsors, 
John C. Shaler, Jr., and Mrs. Mary Cronin. 

March 29, 1882: 

Frank Skidamore Bond, born March 18, 1876; 
Charles Albert Bond, born September 27, 1882, 
children of William L. and Annie M. Bond. Spon- 
sors, Julian G. Maddox and parents. 

May 28, 1882: 

Timothy Seifert, son of Timothy and Elizabeth 
Seifert, born February 23, 1882. Sponsors, James 
Martin, Chales Klein, Mary Dewalt and Margaret 
Mourann. 

September 11, 1882: 

John Thomas Moser, son of John and Sarah Moser, 
born August 14, 1882. Sponsors, Edward and Jane 
Bratt, Sr. 

November 19, 1882: 

Walter James Minsinger, son of Jacob and Annie 
Minsinger, born July 13, 1882. Sponsors, Edward 
Bratt, Sr., and Mary Zehfuss. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 183 


January 14, 1883: 

Andrew Fitton, son of Simeon and Ann Fitton, age 

about 4months. Sponsor, Julius Marland. 
February 11, 1883: 

Samuel Harper Howarth, son of John and Eliza- 

beth C. Howarth. (Date of birth not recorded.) 
February 18, 1883: 

William Henry Fulton, son of David and Isabella 
Fulton, born in Baldwin Township, November 5, 
1882. Sponsors, Edward Bratt, Sr., and parents. 

William Lindsley, born in Castle Shannon, Pa., 
April 4, 1882; Emma Blanche Lindsley, born in 
Banksville, Pa., June 12, 1878; Florence Jane Linds- 
ley, born in Banksville, Pa., February 19, 1872; 
children of John and Mary C. Lindsley. Sponsors, 
Edward Bratt, Sr., and their parents. 

May 27, 1883: 

Annie Leonard Ashford, daughter of Thomas F., 
Sr., and Mary Ann Ashford, born November 22, 1882. 
Sponsors, William T. Hunter and the parents. 

William Thomas Hunter, adult, 30 years old, liv- 
ing on South Side, Pittsburgh. Witnesses, Thomas 
F. and Mary A. Ashford, Sr. 

September 9, 1883: 

Robert Stewart Robinson, son of Cyrus M. and 
Lidie Robinson, born April —, 1883. Sponsor, John 
C. Shaler, Jr. 

Mary Elizabeth Reese Torrence, daughter of Rob- 
ert Reed and Emma A. Torrence, born April —, 1882. 
Sponsor, Mary E. Torrence. 

Richard Elworth Burrell, son of Henry H. and 
Margaret E. Burrell, born July —, 1883. Sponsor, 
Mary Elizabeth Torrence. 

October 21, 1883: 

Lillie May Smith, daughter of David H. and Eliza- 
beth Smith, born July 7, 1883. Sponsors, Mary 
Zehfuss and Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, the mother. 

George Hobday Wilmot, son of George and Pru- 
dence R. Wilmot, born December 21, 1881. Spon- 
sors, John W. Coward and the mother. 

Prudence Rebecca Coward, daughter of John W. 
and Mary A. Coward, born February 13, 1883. 
Sponsors, Mrs. Prudence R. Wilmot, the grandmother, 
and the parents. 


184 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 16, 1883: 

Aaron Speer, son of William and Mary Speer. 
(Date of birth not recorded.) 

Elenora Howarth Minsinger, daughter of William 
and Sarah E. Minsinger, born April 1, 1883. Spon- 
sors, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Howarth and the father. 

Orin Winslow Sadler, son of Dr. O. W. and Jose- ~ 
phine Sadler, born July 18, 1882. Sponsors, John S. 
McMillin, John Bindley and Miss Sarah Slocum, an 
aunt. 

Alice Carroll Torrence, born December 10, 1882; 
Nellie Torrence, born August 2, 1880; children of 
David R. and Elizabeth Torrence. 


January 13, 1884: 

Adelaide Marie Bindley, daughter of John and 
Emeline Bindley, born November 22, 1883; at the 
residence of the parents, Boggs Avenue, Mount Wash- 
ington. Sponsors, Mrs. John S. McMillin and Miss 
Mary Slocum. 

Alice Martina Crumpton, daughter of Robert and 
Mary Crumpton, age 2 years. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. John Bindley. 


January 31, 1884: 

Anna Emily Honess, daughter of Charles and Jane 
M. Honess, born December 23, 1883; at the resi- 
dence of James M. Bailey, Penn Avenue and Fourth 
Street, City. Sponsors, William and Emily Ponting. 


March 16, 1884: 

Mary Agnes Bragg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Bragg, age 3 months. 

Paul Standish Montgomery, born January 24, 1881; 
Helen Montgomery, born August 15, 1883; children 
of Standish and Lucy D. Montgomery. Sponsor for 
both, Mrs. Lucy D. Montgomery. 

Frank Glaze, born June 14, 1882; George Glaze, 
born February —, 1884; children of George A. and 
Emma Glaze. Sponsors, Mrs. Ann James, the ma- 
ternal grandmother and the mother. 


April 22, 1884: 
John James Kirsop, born March 24, 1882; Herbert 
Kirsop, born December 5, 1883; children of Thomas 
Fi, and Jane Kirsop, of Banksville, Pa. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 185 


William Stephen Bellingham, son of Herbert and 
Catherine Bellingham, of Banksville, born February 
3, 1884. 

Ruth Edward Eltringham, born June 1, 1882; 
William Eltringham, born February 5, 1884; chil- 
dren of William and Mary Jane Eltringham, of Banks- 
ville. 

William Garfield Usher, born August 1, 1883, son 
of John and Elizabeth Usher, of Banksville. 

Lily Belle Owen, born August 14, 1878; Elizabeth 
May Owen, born March 1, 1882; children of David 
and Mary Ann Owen, of Banksville. 

Adela Chambers, daughter of Miles William and 
Agnes Chambers, born November 23, 1882. 

Christopher Stead, son of Christopher and Emma 
Stead, born March 15, 1884. 

The last ten children above were baptized at the 
house of John Usher, in Banksville, at 7 o’clock P. M. 
Parents all English people. 

May 18, 1884: 

Elvira Olive Coulson, born July 1, 1882; William 
Henry Coulson, born January 20, 1884; children of 
William and Rosa Coulson, of Banksville. 

Ralph Marshall Renshaw, son of Thomas and Eliza 
Renshaw, of Banksville, born June 10, 1883. 

Sarah Ann Hobson, daughter of Thomas and Ann 
Hobson, of Banksville, born May 29, 1883. 

William Robinson, son of John and Jane Robinson, 
of Banksville, born November 11, 1883. 

William Percival Cummins, son of Thomas and 
Hannah Cummins, of Banksville, born December 23, 
1883. 

Elizabeth Jane Jackson, daughter of John and Mary 
Jane Jackson, of Banksville, born February 17, 1883. 

Harriett Lake, daughter of Benjamin and Eliza 
Lake, of Banksville, born November 10, 1882. 

The last eight children above were baptized at a 
service held in the public school hall of Banksville, 
on Sunday, at 3:30 P. M. 

July 20, 1884: 

Nellie Augusta Paul, daughter of John G. and Mary 
Storer Paul, born August 31, 1880. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. John C. Shaler and Mrs. J. S. McMillin. 


186 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


August 31, 1884: 

Sarah Mantor Benton, daughter of Charles H. and 
Augusta E. Benton, at the residence of Dr. O.W. Sad- 
ler, Grandview Avenue, at 5 P. M.; born September 2, 
1883. Sponsors, Miss Mary M. and Dr. Samuel M. 
Slocum, an aunt and an uncle. 

March 22, 1885: 

Henry James, son of William H. and Mary C. James. 
(Date of birth not recorded.) Sponsors, Mrs. Henry 
James, the grandmother, and the parents. 

Elmer Davis, daughter of Michael and Agnes Davis, 
born November 20, 1884. Sponsor, Belle Golding. 

March 27, 1885: 

Edith Amelia Shaler, born December 24, 1866; Au- 
gusta Margaret Shaler, born August 19, 1868; James 
McGonigle Shaler, born July 20, 1875; children of 
Clarence and Margaret J. Shaler, of Duquesne Heights. 
Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Shaler, Jr. 

April 3, 1885: 

Franklin Rockafeller Kenney, son of John and 
Sarah Kenney, born June 13, 1878. Sponsors, Miss 
Ignacia Marland and Margaret J. Martel. 

April 5, 1885: 

Lillian Martel, daughter of Andrew A. and Mar- 

garet J. Martel, born July 18, 1883. Sponsors, Mrs. 


' Alfred Marland and Herbert Davis. 


May 27, 1885: 

George Brown, son of John and Mary M. Brown, 
born April 10, 1885. Sponsor, Mrs. Ann Minsinger; 
at the residence of Mr. Minsinger. 

June 21, 1885: 

Thomas Robert Fulton, son of David and Isabel 
Fulton, born March 15, 1885, at Fair Haven, Alle- 
gheny County, Pa. Sponsors, parents. 

Steven Spratt, born April 1, 1880; Edward Spratt, 
born June 8, 1882; Aimey Spratt, born December 20, 
1884; children of William and Spratt, of Fair 
Haven, Allegheny County, Pa. Sponsors, the parents. 

September 4, 1885: 

Charles Wilson Bindley, son of John and Emeline 
Bindley; at the residence of the parents, Boggs Avenue, 
born July 22, 1885. Sponsors, Elmina McMillin and 
Albion Bindley. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 187 


September 20, 1885: 

Ann. Marshall Coward, daughter of John William 
and Mary A. Coward, born January 28, 1885. Spon- 
sor, Frances Wilmot, an aunt. 

October 11, 1885: 

Myron Benjamin Ross, son of Frank M. and So- 
phia Ross, born March 24, 1885. Sponsors, John C. 
Shaler, Jr., and Mrs. Ross, the grandmother. 

Margaret Ross Walter, daughter of Charles and 
Minnie Walter, born June 7, 1885. Sponsor, James 
M. and Margaret A. Lefferts, the, grandparents; at 
the residence of Mr. James M. Lefferts. 

March 19, 1886: 

George Alpha Millholland, born May 23, 1878; 
Charlotte Lowen Millholland, born November 29, 
1880; Elizabeth Estelle Millholland, born March 29, 
1882; Harvey Knowlson Millholland, born July 15, 
1885; children of J. H. and Kate Lowen Millholland. 
Sponsors, Elizabeth Goldthorp and the mother. 


March 24, 1886: 

Margaret Blackmore Ashford, daughter of Thomas 
F. and Mary A. Ashford, Sr., born March 12, 1885. 
Sponsors, Mrs. Margaret Blackmore and the parents. 

April 14, 1886: 

Harriett Reed, daughter of Samuel G. Reed, born 
January 18, 1878. Sponsors, Miss Eliza M. Bigham 
and the father. 

David Hunter Dewsnap, son of George Y. and Mary 
J. Dewsnap, born —, 1880. Sponsors, Mary 
E. Hunter and Oliver H. Stinson. 

Philo Chamberlain, born May 1, 1881; Charles 
Chamberlain, born February 1, 1883; sons of James 
and Cornelia W. Chamberlain. Sponsors, George 
Chamberlain and Mrs. Charles Sackrider. 

Leila Bigham Burrell, daughter of Henry M. 
and Sarah A. Burrell, born —, 1885. Spon- 
sors, Miss Eliza M. Bigham and the mother. 

April 23, 1886: 

John Zehfuss Minsinger, son of Jacob and Annie 
Z. Minsinger, born July 16, 1884. Sponsors, Eliza- 
beth G. Smith and the mother. 

Katherine Peppard Montgomery, daughter of Stan- 
dish and Lucy Montgomery, born March 8, 1886. 
Sponsors, Mary Elizabeth Kenah and the mother. 








188 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Josephine Mabel Foreman, daughter of James L. 
and Harriett Foreman, born April 7, 1877. Spon- 
sors, George E. List and Miss Eliza Bigham. 

July 4, 1886: 

Samuel Slocum Sadler, son of Dr. Orin W. and 
Josephine Sadler, born September 14, 1885. Spon- 
sors, Dr. Samuel Manton Slocum and his wife, Belle | 
Cutting Slocum. 

October 10, 1886: 

Maria Louisa Stout, daughter of Melville L. and 
Mary J. Stout, born July 26, 1886. Sponsors, Mrs. 
Maria L. Bigham, the grandmother, and Miss Eliza 
Bigham, her maternal aunt. 

January 30, 1887: 

Claude Leroy McMillin, adult, son of Joseph and 
Pattie Leonard McMillin, born April 4, 1855. Wit- 
nesses, Dr. Orin W. and Emma Josephine Sadler. 

Mary Josephine Sadler, daughter of Dr. Orin W. 
and Emma Josephine Sadler, born November 27, 
1886. Sponsors, Mrs. Mary McMillin, Miss Mary 
Slocum and Mr. Leo Danse. 

March 11, 1887: 

Emma Jane Keilen, born January 4, 1880; Richard 
Burgess Keilen, born April 8, 1884; William John 
Keilen, born September 1, 1881; Sarah Matilda 
Keilen, born December 24, 1885; children of William 
and Katurah Fallows Keilen. Sponsors, Elizabeth 
Jane Keilen and the parents. ~ 

June 19, 1887: 

Hilda Boundy, daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth 
Boundy, born February 21, 1887. Sponsors, the 
parents. 

July 10, 1887: 

John Robert Gardner, son of Phillip and Margaret 
Eliz Gardner, born January 11, 1887. Sponsor, John 
Jackson, an uncle. 

July 17, 1887: 

Violet Irene Coward, daughter of John W. and 
Mary A.Coward, born December 14, 1886. Sponsors, 
the parents. 

July 24, 1887: 

Wilfred Drabble Lowe, son of Johnston J. and 
Elizabeth C. Lowe, born May 30, 1883. Sponsor, 
John C. Shaler, Jr. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 189 


October 30, 1887: 

James Chamberlain, son of James and Cornelia 
Chamberlain, born August 7, 1887. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. John C. Shaler and the father. 

November 13, 1887: 

Alice Stinson Ashford, daughter of Thomas F. and 
Mary A. Ashford, Sr., born May 11, 1887. Sponsors, 
Miss Mary Stinson and the parents. 

March 2, 1888: 

Marie Dorion Martell, daughter of Andrew K. and 
Margaret S. Martell, born October 13, 1887. Spon- 
sors, Lottie and Ignatia Marland. 

March 14, 1888: 

Albert Glaze, son of George A. and Emily Glaze, 
born March 23, 1886. Sponsors, the parents. 

March 18, 1888; 

Laura Lee, daughter of 
recorded.) 

March 23, 1888: 

Violet Holmes Bollman, born June 7, 1880; William 
Gorman Bollman, born June 14, 1885; children of 
Joseph Stewart and Alice Pitte Bollman. . Sponsors, 
Misses Lottie and Ignatia Marland and the father. 

Anna Cape, born March 9, 1874; Laura Keziah 
Cape, born June 1, 1877; Frederick Chester Cape, 
born Deccember 25, 1881; Olive Isabel Cape, born 
February 22, 1884; Samuel Cape, born January 22, 
1886; children of John and Laura Matilda Cape. 
Sponsors, Mrs. T. J. Bigham and the mother. 

April 1, 1888: 

Ella May Davis, daughter of Michael and Agnes 

Davis, born October 24, 1887. 
May. 16, 1888: 

Nellie Marie Shope, born October 16, 1877; Frank 
Warden Shope, born August 28, 1879; Mabel Mar- 
guerite Shope, born February 12, 1881; Helen Beat- 
tice Shope, born March 14, 1883; children of Mr. and 
Mrs. William Shope, of Grandview Avenue. 

May 27, 1888: 

Isabella Geisinger, born April 15, 1885; Isolinda 
Geisinger, born January 31, 1887; children of Andrew 
and Sarah Geisinger. Sponsors, Mrs. Dixon and the 
parents. 





———. (No data 


190 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 3, 1888: 

Augustus Palmer, son of Edward and Ann Palmer, 
born January 8, 1888. Sponsors, the parents. 

Archibald Kennedy, son of Archibald and Mary J. 
Kennedy, born January 138, 1888. Sponsors, the 
parents. 

June 24, 1888: 

Mary Marguerite Goldthorp, daughter of Joshua 
and Margaret Douglas Goldthorp, born January 7, 
1888. Sponsors, Miss Sarah G. Steele and Mrs. Kate 
Dermitt. 

July 22, 1888: 

Edith Cameron Lowe, daughter of John J. and 
Elizabeth C. Lowe, born December 6, 1887. Spon- 
sors, the parents. 

July 30, 1888: 

Max Adler Crum, son of Alfred R. and Anna Crum, 
at the residence of the parents, Duquesne Heights; 
age, 7 years. Sponsors, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Lowe and 
the father. 

October 8, 1888: 

Eliza Augusta Stout, daughter of Melville L. and 
Mary J. Stout, at the residence of Mrs. Maria L. 
Bigham, 8:30 P. M.; born September 13, 1888. Spon- 
sors, Mrs. Maria L. Bigham and Miss Eliza Bigham. 
Received into the church at morning prayer, Sunday 
November 18, 1888. 

November 18, 1888: 

Gustave Lawrence Hodgkinson, son of William and 
Sarah A: Hodgkinson. (Date of birth not recorded.) 
Sponsors, the parents. 

January 27, 1889: 

Blanche Dixon, daughter of William and Letitia 
Dixon. (Date of birth not recorded.) Sponsor, 
Miss Janet Stokes. 

February 17, 1889: 

Emily Glaze, daughter of George A. and Emily 

Glaze, born October 31, 1888. Sponsors, the parents. 
April 19, 1889: 

George Howarth, son of John and Elizabeth Ho- 
warth, born October 22, 1886; at evening prayer, 
Good Friday, 4 P. M. Sponsors, Miss Kate Ickley 
and the mother. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 191 


Blanche Olivette Minsinger, daughter of Jacob 
and Annie Minsinger, born ‘November 19, 1888. 
Sponsors, Blanche Lucas and the mother. 

Oliver Halpin Stinson, son of Robert and Mary E. 
C. Stinson, born January 20, 1889. Sponsors, the 
parents. 

April 21, 1889: 

Gladys Elizabeth Crum, born July 24, 1888; Robert 
Ivy Crum, born March 20, 1886; children of Alfred 
R. and Sidney A. Crum; on Easter Sunday, 3 P. M. 
Sponsors for both, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Lowe and the 
mother. 

July 21, 1889: 

Howard Francis Burrows, son of Sidney Alma and 
Gertrude Collingwood Burrows, born May 30, 1889. 
Sponsors, George and Elizabeth Speed. 

Oliver Stinson Neely, son of Harry W. and Mary 
Stinson Neely. (Data of birth not recorded.) Spon- 
sors, Oliver H. Stinson and Sarah Halpin. 

July 22, 1889: 
Oaks, child of William Oaks, of Grandview 
Avenue. (Date of birth not recorded.) 

February 9, 1890: 

Ellen Jesson Kennedy, daughter of Archibald 
and Mary J. Kennedy, born October 9, 1889. Spon- 
sors, Ellen Jesson and the parents. 

Samuel Hartshorne Palmer, son of Edward and 
Anna H. Palmer, born December 12, 1889. Spon- 
sors, William Dalby and the parents. 


March 28, 1890: 

Ida May Zehfuss, age about 15 years. 

Jessie Elliott, adult, age 20 years. Witness, Miss 
Emma Bennett. Fifth Friday in Lent, 4 P. M. 

March 30, 1890: 

Richard Williams, son of John and Sarah Williams, 
born February 24, 1890. Sponsors, Hannah Hooper 
and the parents. 

April 20, 1890: 
Arthur Smith, about 2 weeks old; John James 
Smith, about 2 years old; children of Arthur and 
Mary Smith, from Birmingham, England. Sponsors 
for Arthur, John Paton and Sunsan Lawley; sponsors 
for John James, John and Ellen Smith. 





192 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


May 6, 1890: 

Mary Emma Trunick, born July 25, 1887; Minnie 
Ivra Trunick, born August 1, 1889; children of John 
Stanford and Mary Bailey Trunick. Sponsors, Mrs. 
Mary Noe and the mother. 

June 22, 1890: 

Nevada Jenkins Ashford, daughter of Thomas F. 
and Mary A. Ashford, Sr., born December 18, 1889. 
Sponsors, Mr. T. M. and Mrs. Nevada Jenkins. 

September 7, 1890: 

Albion Bindley, son of Albion and Sarah L, Bindley, 
born May 23, 1890. Sponsors, John Bindley, Dr. 
Orin W. Sadler and Miss Elmina McMillin. 


By tHe Rey. WittiaAM THOMPSON. 


November 16, 1890: 
Thomas Glaze, son of George A. and Emily Glaze, 
born July 14, 1890. Sponsors, the parents. 


By THE Rey. RoBERT JOHN CosTER, RECTOR. 


November 23, 1890: 

Mary Stout, daughter of Melville and Mary J. Stout, 
born September 28, 1890. 

Frederick Michael Davis, son of Michael and Agnes 
Davis. (Date of birth not recorded.) Sponsors, 
George A. Glaze and the mother. 

Neville Sidney Miller, son of Charles E. and Annie 
M. Miller, born September 19, 1890. Sponsors, 
Howard and Cora Bailey, an uncle and an aunt. 

January 18, 1891: 

Percival Brayley, born January 1, 1886; Mary Jane 
Brayley, born September 4, 1890; children of Benjamin 
and Sarah A. Brayley. Sponsors for both, the parents. 

Frances Emma Spray, daughter of George and 
Annie Spray, born October 31, 1890. Sponsors, the 
parents. 

February 13, 1891: 

Mabel Ruth Miller, adult, 18 years old, born May 
25, 1872. Witnesses, Mrs. R. C. Anderson and Mrs. 
Helen A. Harper. 

March 13, 1891: 

Edith Elizabeth Minsinger, born June 1, 1888; 

Mary Blanche Minsinger, born June 12, 1886; chil- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 193 


dren of William and Eliza Minsinger. Sponsors, the 
grandmother, Mrs. Caroline Minsinger,and the mother. 

Hattie Blaine Minsinger, born August 22, 1884; 
Caroline Minsinger, born July 18, 1882; Maude May 
Minsinger, born February 18, 1881; David William 
Minsinger, born November 13, 1890; children of John 
and Luretta Samilda Minsinger. Sponsors, the grand- 
mother, Mrs. Caroline Minsinger and the mother. 

Luretta Samilda Minsinger, wife of John Minsinger, 
born February 20, 1853. Witnesses, her mother-in- 
law, Mrs, Caroline Minsinger, and a sister-in-law, 
Mrs. Eliza Minsinger. 

March 21, 1891: 

Réne Elise Montreville, daughter of Hubert and 
Sallie A. Montreville. (Date of birth not recorded.) 
Sponsor, Mrs. S. E. Linhart. 

March 29, 1891: 

George Albert Gould, son of Edward and Silence 
Gould, born January 31, 1891; at the home of the 
parents, in consequence of illness. 

April 12, 1891: 

Maude Amelia Robertson, adult. Witnesses, Mr. 
and Mrs. William C. Reitz. 

Mabel Reta Stevens, adult, 16 years old, daughter 
of William C. Stevens, of Duquesne Heights. Wit- 
nesses, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Reitz. 

May 10, 1891: 

Robert Bonner Neely, son of Stanley L. and Ella 
A. Neely, born February 21, 1891. Sponsors, Miss 
Lillie Harper and the parents. 

John Hunt Bowman, son of Joseph William and 
Clara A. Bowman, born December 29, 1890. Spon- 
sors, Miss Jennie Bowman and the parents. 

June 3, 1891: 

Florence May Trunick, daughter of John S. and 
Mary Trunick, born May 15, 1891; at the home of 
the parents, Mount Washington, in consequence of 
severe illness. 

June 9, 1891: 

Andrew Waggoner, adult, age 50 years; at his home, 
on Wyoming Street, in consequence of serious illness. 
Witnesses, his wife and Mrs. Edgar Proeger, his 
daughter. 


194 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Edgar Waggoner Proeger, son of Mr. Edgar Proeger, 
born June 22, 1890. In the presence of Mr. Andrew 
Waggoner’s family, his wife and daughters, at their 
home, Wyoming Street, Mount Washington. 

June 21, 1891: 

Charles Robertson Hardy, son of Charles C. and © 
Cornelia E. Hardy, born April 20, 1891. Sponsors, 
John C. Shaler, Jr., and the mother. 

December 7, 1891: 

Rachel Carola Gunild Johanna Halbeck, daughter 
of Axel C. and Ida A. Halbeck, of Sweden, born May 
10, 1891. Sponsors Miss Cooper and the parents; 
at the home of the parents, 343 Western Avenue, 
Allegheny, Pa. 

February 9, 1892: 

Frances Ellsworth Milligan, son of Frances and 
Kezia Milligan, born September 8, 1891; at the 
home of the parents, LaBelle Street, Mount Wash- 
ington. Sponsors, Mrs. Boyer and the mother. 

April 8, 1892: 

Effie Marie Robinson, daughter of Thomas E. and 
Sadie B. Robinson, 8 months old. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. William Reitz. 

May 15, 1892: 

Elsie Lois Beck, daughter of Alcinous D. and Mary 
J. Beck; at their home, 24 Shiloh Street, Mount 
Washington, in consequence of illness. Sponsors, 
the parents. 

June 1, 1892: 

Elmina Mantor Bindley, daughter of Albion and 
Sarah S. Bindley, born March 27, 1892; at the 
Bishop Bowman Institute, corner Penn Avenue 
and Fourth Street, 5 P. M. Sponsors, Miss Elmina: 
McMillin, Mrs. Mary S. Niffin and Mr. W. D. Green. 

June 12, 1892: 

Anna Margaret Stinson, daughter of Oliver H. and 
Anna M. Stinson, born April 22, 1892. Sponsors, 
Harry W. and Mary M. Neely. 

July 24, 1892: 

Florence Marian Palmer and Anna Amelia Pal- 
mer, born November 20, 1891, twin daughters of 
Edward and Anna H. Palmer. Sponsors, John Mc- 
Bride Paton and Mrs. Sarah Paskin. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 195 


September 11, 1892: 
Thomas Francis Ashford, son of Thomas F. and 
Harriett Ashford, Jr., born August 10, 1892. Spon- 
sors, and the parents. 


September 25, 1892: 

Harry James Glaze, son of George A. and Emma 
Glaze, of Bigham Street, born May 30, 1892. Spon- 
sors, the parents. 

October 30, 1892: 

Ethel Booth Gordon, daughter of Frank W. and 
Carrie A. Gordon, of Duquesne Heights, born April 
9, 1892. Sponsors, Mrs. Jean Robertson and Mr. 
John C. Shaler, Jr. 

January 29, 1893: 

William John Martin, son of William and Susan 
Martin, born January 10, 1893. Sponsors, John Han- 
son and the parents, 

March 13, 1893: 

Mary Edlund, daughter of Annie Edlund, a native 
of Sweden, born December 18, 1892. Sponsors, Mrs. 
R. J. Coster and the mother. Ceremony at the 
Bishop Bowman Institute, Penn Avenue and Fourth 
Street. 


March 19, 1893: 

Herbert Humphrey Robertson, son of Andrew C. 
and Jean Robertson, born February 28, 1883. Spon- 
sors, George A. Johnston and the mother. 

March 31, 1893: 

Herbert Earle Minsinger, son of William and Eliza 
Minsinger, born February 11, 1892. Sponsors, Lu- 
retta Minsinger and the mother. On Good Friday, 
4P.M. 

Margie Grace Minsinger, daughter of Jacob and 
Annie Minsinger, born March 12, 1891. Sponsors, 
Luretta Minsinger and the mother. 

April 9, 1893: 

James Kenny, son of James and Anna Kenny, born 

December 21, 1892. Sponsors, the parents. 
May 21, 1893: 

Elizabeth Alice Purkey, born March 6, 1885; 
Thomas Golding Purkey, born November 29, 1888; 
Edward Dallas Purkey, born December 21, 1891; 
children of Edward C. and Amanda A. Purkey. Spon- 








196 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


sors, for Elizabeth A., Mr. and Mrs. Lewis C. Purkey, 
and for the sons, Thomas G. Bond and Annie Hughes. 

Frances Etta Lund, daughter of Fritz and Ragu- 
hild Lund, born May 19, 1892. Sponsors, Mrs. Wil- 
liam L. Bond and the parents (Swedes). 

June 22, 1893: 

Mary McClurg Dallett, daughter of Morris and 
Margaret Millard Dallett (home, Philadelphia), born 
October 5, 1892. Sponsors, Mrs. Matilda C. Verner, 
great aunt, andthe mother. Ceremony at the resi- 
dence of Miss Mary McClurg, Thirty-third and Carson 
Streets, South Side. 

June 25, 1893: 

Margaret Craig McDowell, daughter of David C. 
and Margaret R. McDowell, born January 31, 1893. 
Sponsors, the parents. 

Prudence Rebecca Herbert, daughter of John C. 
and Prudence T. Herbert, born December 2, 1892. 
Sponsors, Caroline Wilmot and the parents. 

Constance Charlotte Coster Stout, daughter of 
Melville L. and Mary J. Stout, born January 7, 1893. 
Sponsors, Eliza Bigham, an aunt, and the parents. 

October 8, 1893: 

Douglas Russell Fraser, son of James H. and Hel- 
vetia M. M. Fraser, born February 20, 1892. Spon- 
sors, Mrs. Sarah A. Naysmith and the parents. 


By THE Rev. JAMES FosTER. 


October 22, 1893: 
Margaret Vivian Lowe, daughter of John J. and 
Elizabeth C. Lowe, born January 12, 1893. Spon- 
sors, W. E. Moorhead and M. A. Clancy. 


By THE Rev. ROBERT JOHN CosTER, RECTOR. 


November 19, 1893: 

George Harold Benton, son of Henry and Eliza- 
beth Benton, of Piermont Street, Thirty-second Ward, 
born October 23, 1893. Sponsors, the parents. 
Miller, child of a friend of Robert Naysmith. 
March 4, 1894: 

Helen Whittier Neely, daughter of Stanley L. and 
Ella Harper Neely, born November 14, 1893. Spon- 
sors, Mrs. Helen Harper, the maternal grandmother, 
and the parents. There were present at the baptism 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 197 


of this child the mother and the grandmother, Mrs. 
Helen Harper, and the great grandmother, Mrs. 
Adelaide M. Whittier, the latter being 82 years old. 

William Brasil Hannam, son of George B. and 
Matilda S. Hannam, born January 18, 1884. Spon- 
sors, George A. Johnson and Mary Ashford. 

March 9, 1894: 

Robert Guerendale Burrell, son of Henry M. and 
Margaret E. Burrell, born February 8, 1893. Spon- 
sors, Mary Rebecca Torrence and Lou Ray. 

Mildred Lee Phillips, daughter of William Lee and 
Mary J. Phillips, born August 17, 1879. Sponsor, 
Miss Ida Smith. 

Elizabeth Carter, born November 20, 1880; Samuel 
Charles Carter, born May 15, 1883; Harriett Carter, 
born November 22, 1885; children of Charles Davis 
and Elizabeth Carter, of Plymouth Street, Duquesne 
Heights. Sponsors, the parents. 

March 23, 1894: 

Annie Ruth Minsinger, daughter of Jacob and 
Annie Minsinger, born June 22, 1893. Sponsors, the 
grandmother, Caroline Minsinger, and the mother. 

Edward Minsinger Zehfuss, son of Phillip and Eliza- 
beth Zehfuss, born June 3, 1880. Sponsors, Luretta 
Minsinger, an aunt, and the mother. 

These baptisms in church, Good Friday, 4 P. M. 

July 1, 1894: 

William Andrew Rau and Leonard Martin Rau, 
born April 17, 1894, twin sons of Leonard and Agnes 
Rau. Ceremony at the residence of the parents, 
Belonda Street, Mount Washington, in consequence 
of illness of the children. 

October 21, 1894: 

Thomas Maddox Bond, son of Thomas G. and Vir- 
ginia L. Bond, born June 11, 1894. Sponsors, Mr.and 
Mrs. William L. Bond, Sr., and John Lowen, maternal 
grandfather. 

October 28, 1894: 

Marie Coster Purkey, daughter of Edward C. and 
Amanda A. Purkey, born May 21, 1894. Sponsors, 
John C. Shaler, Jr., and Mrs. Lewis C. Purkey, the 
grandmother. 


198 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 2, 1894: 

Thomas Verner Dallett, son of Morris and Mar. 
garet M. Dallett, of Philadelphia, born April 30, 1894- 
Ceremony at the residence of the late Miss Mary 
McClurg, corner of Thirty-third and Carson Streets. 
Sponsors, John B. Dunlevy and Mrs. Matilda C. 
Verner. 

March 8, 1895: 

Robert Neal Bowman, son of Joseph William and 
Clara Ann Bowman, born August 13, 1894. Spon- 
sors, his aunt, Jennie DeLong Bowman, and his 
mother. 

March 24, 1895: 

Albert Clarence Martin, son of William and Susan 
Martin, born August 19, 1894. Sponsors, Harry 
Martin, his uncle, and Lena McCartney. 

April 11, 1895: 

Howard Glaze, son of George A. and Emma Glaze, 
born January 5, 1894. Sponsors, Mrs. Henry James 
and the mother. 

Ralph Reed Lewis, born April 10, 1885; Joseph 
James Lewis, born August 3, 1887; Clarence Ross 
Lewis, born September 15, 1889; children of William 
A. and Anna Lewis. Sponsors, Mrs. Margaret Hun- 
ter McKain, James Lewis McKain and Mary Rebecca 
Torrence. Ceremony in church, Good Friday, 4 
P. M. 

October 13, 1895: 

Grace Stinson, daughter of Oliver H.and Anna M. 
Stinson, born August 20, 1895. Sponsors, Ann 
Stinson, grandmother, and the parents. Ceremony 
at morning prayer in church. 

December 15, 1895: 

Melville Bigham Stout, son of Melville L. and Mary 
Bigham Stout, born October 17, 1895. Sponsors, 
Kirk Q. Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Stout, Constance 
C. Stout and Augusta M. Shaler. At morning prayer 
in church. 

March 29, 1896: 

George Abraham Johnson, adult, born in Newark, 
N. J., November 19, 1846. Witnesses, M. L. and 
Mary J. Stout. In church, after the close of morning 
service. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 199 


By THE Rev. DANIEL DurROE. 


May 31, 1896: 
Mary Ann Dalby, daughter of William H. and 
Elizabeth Dalby, born April 24, 1896. Sponsors, 
Francis M. Lewis and John C. Shaler. 


By THE Rev. RoBertT JoHN CosTErR, REcTorR. 


June 21, 1896: 

Martha Jean Fulton, daughter of Robert J. Fulton, 
born June 28, 1892. Sponsors, father and Mrs. J. E. 
Niven. 

July 19, 1896: 

Layton Charles Bond, son of William L. and Ida B. 
Bond, Jr., born in Pittsburgh, August 24, 1895. 
Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Bond, Sr., and John 
Lowen, maternal grandfather. 

September 20, 1896: 

Blake Edward Bond, son of Thomas G. and Vir- 
ginia L. Bond, born February 12, 1896. | Sponsors, 
John C. Shaler and Mrs. William L. Bond, Sr. In 
church, at morning service. 

November 29, 1896: 

Edith Sarah Smith, born 
Emily Smith, born —, 1890; Ethel Prudence 
Smith, born —, 1892; children of James F. 
and Emily Smith. Sponsors, the mother and John 
C. Shaler. In church, at morning service. 

December 13, 1896: 

Sidney Penton Groves, son of Samuel and Annie 
Groves, born November 28, 1895. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. J. J. Lowe. 

John David Lewis, born December 11, 1893; Mar- 
garet Lewis, born August 1, 1891; Ralph Lewis, born 
April 4, 1896; children of David and Maria Lewis. 
Sponsors, the mother and George A. Johnson. In 
church, at morning service, Third Sunday in Advent. 

December 20, 1896: 

James Francis Smith, son of James F. and Emily 
Smith, born January 25, 1895. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. John C. Shaler. In church, at morning service. 





—, 1888; Frances 








200 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 27, 1896: 

Florence Katherine Bowman, daughter of J. W. 
and C. A. Bowman, born September 3, 1896. Spon- 
sors, Cora Bowman and Katherine Shepperson. In 
church, at morning service. 


March 31, 1897: 

Florence Lenora Zelch, daughter of John L. and 
Nellie M. Zelch, born March 12,1882. Witness, Lottie 
Marland. In church, at evening prayer. 

George Frank Slocum, son of George F. and Ar- 
della Slocum, born —, 1897. Sponsors, Mrs, 
Armstrong, the grandmother, and Sarah H. Arm- 
strong. At parents’ home, on Southern Avenue, in 
consequence of child’s illness. 


October 10, 1897: 
Martha Ann Wilkinson, daughter of Thomas and 
Mary Wilkinson, born August 6, 1897. Sponsor, Mrs. 
Annie Wright. In church. 


November 14, 1897: 

Florence Elizabeth Ashford, daughter of Thomas F. 
and Harriett Ashford, Jr., born July 11, 1897. Spon- 
sors, Mary F. Ashford andWilliam P. List. In church, 
at morning service. 


February 13, 1898: 

Earl Martin, son of William and Susan Martin, 
born August 24, 1897. Sponsors, Lewis and Martha 
Partridge. 

Priscilla Hanson, daughter of John and Mary A. 
Hanson, born December 5, 1897. Sponsors, William 
and Susan Partridge. 

Albert Coster Turbett, adult, born May 27, 1879. 
Witness, Harry W. Neely. In church, at morning 
service. 


March 25, 1898. 

George Glasgow Mason, born July 7,1894; Earl Perry 
Mason, born November 22, 1890; Olive Virginia Ma- 
son, born February 8, 1889; Ruby Augusta Mason, 
born August 27, 1885; children of Frank and Sarah 
Mason (colored). Sponsors, Mrs. M. L. Stout and the 
mother. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 201 


May 29, 1898: 

Mabel Catherine Moffett, daughter of Ellis B. and 
Annie M. Moffett, born October 19, 1895. Sponsors, 
Margaret E. Alstadt and the mother. In church, 
Whitsunday, 3 P. M. service. 

July 10, 1898: 

Harper Hartman Purkey, son of Edward C. and 
Amanda Purkey, born May 5, 1898. Sponsors, Ed- 
ward Singleton and the grandmother, Mrs. Lewis 
C. Purkey. In church. 

October 3, 1898: 

Lewis Edward Grazier, son of Phillip and Annie 
M. Grazier, born July 9, 1898. Sponsors, Mrs. Wil- 
liam L. Bond, Sr., and Mrs. Mary J. Barr; at resi- 
dence of parents, Meriden Street. 

October 23, 1898: 

Rachel Anderson Pattison, born September 12, 
1891; Louise Carnegie Pattison, born December 15, 
1895; Grace Morrison Pattison, born June 10, 1898; 
children of John and Rachel Pattison. Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Neely, Mr. and Mrs. M. L. 
Stout and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., 
respectively; at 57 Grace Street, residence of parents, 
at oe. MM: 

November 13, 1898: 

Grace Shepperton Bowman, daughter of Joseph 
William and Clara A. Bowman, born October 13, 1898. 
Sponsors, Joseph and Jane Bowman, grandparents. 

November 20, 1898: 

Anna Frasck McKain, daughter of William and 
Margaret H. McKain, born September 4, 1897. Spon- 
sors, Mary E. McCaddon and Jeannette McKain. In 
church, at Sunday morning service. 

December 4, 1898: 

Charlotte Olivia Bayton, daughter of Arthur and 
Bertha Bayton, born April 29, 1896. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. John J. Lowe. In Mission Chapel, Duquesne 
Heights. 

March 24, 1899: 

Helen Constance Flinn, daughter of James E. and 
Lilly V. Flinn, born August 1, 1898. Sponsors, 
James E. Flinn, Jr.,and Carrie M. Flinn. In church, 
evening prayer, at 4 P. M, 


202 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


April 2, 1899: 

William Julian Bond, son of William L. and Ida B. 
Bond, born September —, 1898. Sponsors, Mr. and 
Mrs. John S. Stephens and Julian Maddox. At resi- 
dence of parents, on Oneida Street, Easter Sunday 
evening. Child ill. 

April 14, 1899: 

Emma Hale Kinney, adult, from Milesburg, Centre 
County, Pa., 35 years old. Witnesses, Emmeline G. 
Bennett, her aunt, Sarah M. Wilson, her sister, and 
Caroline H. Tanner, her cousin. In church, at 4 P. 
M.; a special service. 

July 11, 1899: 

Margaret Dorothy Kirkpatrick Stout, daughter of 
M. L. and Mary J. Stout, born March 13, 1899. Spon- 
sors, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. H. 
A. Stout and the parents. At the parents’ residence, 
Woodville avenue, 12°M., after the marriage in 
church of Thomas J. Bigham and Ida Newell. 

July 14, 1899: 

Annie Higginson, daughter of James and Eliza 
Jane Higginson, born May 30, 1899. Sponsors, 
Thomas Higginson and the mother. At parents’ resi- 
dence, William Street. 

December 17, 1899: 

Jessie Elizabeth Bennett Tanner, daughter of Ju- 
lian Roy and Jessie Tanner, born September 6, 1899. 
Sponsors, Emma Bennett and Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. 
Tanner, grandparents. In church, at Sunday evening 
service. 

March 16, 1900: 

Oliver Glaze, son of George A. and Emma Glaze, 
born June 28, 1897. Sponsors, Mrs. Jane M. Niven 
andthe mother. Inchurch, at 4 P. M. service. 

April 13, 1900: 

Hildegard Elizabeth Minsinger, daughter of Har- 
rington E. and Emma M. Minsinger,born June 4, 1899. 
Sponsors, Sarah Caroline Minsinger and the mother. 

Alan Elliott Towse, born September 26, 1894; 
Raymond George Towse, born October 27, 1887; 
Mary D. Towse, born April 7, 1885; children of Daniel 
Elliott and Anna Winnifred Towse. Sponsors, Mr. 
and Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 203 


William Meers, son of Walter and Annie Meers, 
born May 25, 1896. Sponsors, Augusta Shaler and 
the mother. 

Helen May Bradley, daughter of William and Anna 
E. Bradley, born July 23, 1894. Sponsors, Caroline 
M. Howarth and the mother. 

All in church, at service on Good Friday morning. 

June 3, 1900: 

Helen Jane Davies, daughter of Charles H. and 
Fanny M. Davies, born December 17, 1898. Spon- 
sors, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip J. Meahl. 

Carless Meahl, son of Phillip J. and Rebecca Meahl, 
born May 11,1900. Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
H. Davies. 

Both at residence of Mr. P. J. Meahl, LaBelle Street 
Thirty-second Ward, Sunday, 5 P. M. 


By THE Rev. W. F. Dawson. 


June 17, 1900: 

Elizabeth Frances Ritchie, daughter of Charles F. 
A. and Harriett E. Ritchie, born November 30, 1899. 
Sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Lowe, the maternal 
grandparents. 


By THE Rev. RoBert JoHN Coster, D. D., Rector. 


July 22, 1900: 

Christ John David Hay, son of John A. and Emma 
M. Hay, born July 12, 1899. Sponsors, Christ John 
F. and Matilda Heinrich, an uncle and an aunt, In 
church, at morning prayer. 

July 25, 1900: 

Edith Stevens, daughter of Isaiah and Eva A. 
Stevens, born July —, 1900. Sponsors, Mary J. 
Hall and her mother, Mrs. Hall. In private, at the 
parents’ home, Sweetbrier street. 

July 29, 1900: 

Francis Lanchon, son of John and Emma J. Lan- 
chon, born June 23, 1899. Sponsors, Mrs. Margaret 
Montooth and the mother. In church, at Sunday 
morning service. 

September 23, 1900: 

Elizabeth Ellen Stevens, daughter of Isaiah and 
Eva A. Stevens, born January 11, 1898. Sponsors, 
Mrs. Hall and Mary J. Hall. In church, at Sunday 
evening service. 


204 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


October 14, 1900: 

John Cameron Ferguson, son of William Burns and 
Kate Miller D. Standish Ferguson, born July 26, 
1900. Sponsors, John J. and Elizabeth C. Lowe. 
In church, at Sunday morning service. 


By tHe Rev. L. F. Bower. 


September 30, 1900: 
Elizabeth Higginson, daughter of James and Eliza 
J. Higginson, born July 17, 1900. Sponsors, the 
parents. In church, at Sunday evening service. 


By THE Rev. RoBERT JoHN Coster, D. D., REcTor. 


March 27, 1901: 

Margaret Jane Martell, daughter of Andrew K. and 
Margaret Martell, born August 1, 1900. Sponsors, 
Evan C. Jones, Alberta Martell and Jessie E. Graham. 
In church, at Wednesday evening service in Lent. 

April 5, 1901: 

Harold Manners Durham, son of Charles H. and 
Edith A. Durham, born June 26, 1899. Sponsors, 
Elisha Holcombe, and Augusta M. Shaler. In church, 
on Good Friday, at 4 P. M. 

April 14, 1901: 

Harold Earl Whitehead, son of James and Annie 
Whitehead, born —, 1901. Sponsors, Benja- 
min H. Reithel and Hilda Griffiths. In church, at 
Sunday morning service. 

May 12, 1901: 

John Luther Zelch, born August 21, 1883; Upton 
States Zelch, born September 9, 1885; sons of John 
L. and Mellie M. Zelch. Sponsors, William John 
Niell and Mary Ashford. Inchurch, at morning serv- 
ice, Sunday. 

June 9, 1901: 

Annie Halpin Neely, daughter of Harry W. and 
Mary S. Neely, born March 16, 1901. Sponsors, Wil- 
liam Halpin and Mrs. Robert Stinson. In church, at 
Sunday morning service. 

June 16, 1901: 

Percy Overland George, son of and Margaret 
George, born September 17, 1894. Sponsors, George 
Davis, grandfather, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Ander- 
son, 








A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 205 


Norma Buik Anderson, daughter of Harry H. and 
Caroline D. Anderson, born October 5, 1900. Spon- 
sors, George Davis, grandfather, and Mrs. Margaret 
George. 

Both in church, at evening service. 

June 19, 1901: 

Charles Warren Wall, son of Lewis A. and May B. 
Wall, born May 16, 1901. Sponsors, Owen O’Malley 
and Esther V. Reed. At the home of the parents, 
Kearsage Street, 4:30 P. M. 

July 14, 1901: 

Elizabeth Conrad Tilden, daughter of William M. 
and Anna M. Tilden, born April 15, 1901. Sponsors, 
Mary E. Sprague and the parents; at the home of 
the parents, Bigham street. 

December 29, 1901: 

Arthur Bertram Martin, son of Harry and Amy 
Martin, born November 11, 1901. Sponsors, Joseph 
A. and Elizabeth Barton. In church, at evening 
service. 

January 12, 1902: 

Herbert Walter Patton, son of John J. and Minnie 
E. Patton, born November 4, 1901. Sponsors, David 
Joy, proxy for John J. Weakley, and Mrs. Mary Joy. 
In church, at evening service. 

March 7, 1902: 

Isabella Herbert Coward, born October 21, 1888; 
John William Coward, born January 23, 1892; Mary 
Francis Coward, born January 9, 1894; George Stan- 
ley Coward, born November 29, 1895; Frederick 
James Coward, born July 26, 1899; children of John 
W. and Mary A. Coward. Sponsors, Mrs. Frances 
Rebecca Lickel and the children’s mother. 

Lilian Ruth Lickel, daughter of Jacob and Frances 
R. Lickel, born September 4, 1894. Sponsors, Mrs. 
Mary A. Coward and Mrs. Frances Rebecca Lickel. 
In church, Fourth Sunday in Lent, at 4 P. M. 

March 23, 1902: 

Ethel Cornelia Bond, daughter of Frank S. and 
Cornelia A. Bond, born July 24, 1901. Sponsors, 
Mrs. Jane A. Bowman and parents. In church, at 
Sunday morning service. 


206 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Allan Sherman McDonald, son of Mathew T. Mc- 
Donald, born January 8, 1890. Sponsors, Sara C. 
and Harry C. McDonald. In church. 


March 28, 1902. 

John Meyer Hay, son of John and Emma Hay, 
born August 3, 1901. Sponsors, Charlotte Hein- ~ 
rich and Ida Clark. 

Antoinette Helen Brush,adopted daughter of George 
E. and Patience V. Brush, born February 24, 1897. 
Sponsors, Mrs. Hannah J. Boyce and adopted mother. 

Ethel Lois Minsinger, born July 5, 1896; Mabel 
Caroline Minsinger, born January 13, 1892; daughters 
of Jacob and Annie Minsinger. Sponsors, Caroline 
Minsinger and the mother for Ethel Lois; Ada M. 
Timmens and Alice A. Walter for Mabel Caroline. 
In church, Good Friday, 4 P. M. 

May 11, 1902: 

Helen Evelyn. Dyer, daughter of Samuel W. and 
Caroline M. Dyer, born December 10, 1901. Spon- 
sors, Helen S. Neely and Rose E. Dyer. 

Mary Newell Bigham, daughter of Thomas J. and Ida 
N. Bigham, born March 6, 1902. Sponsors, Annie 
Newell and Clara V. Small. In church, at morning 
service, Sunday after Ascension. 

July 9, 1902: 

Phillip Flinn Ashford, born May 6, 1902, son of 
Thomas F., Jr., and Harriett J. Ashford. Sponsors, 
Joseph E. and Annie L. Ashford. At the home of 
the parents, Sycamore Street. 

September 21, 1902: 

Edward Julius Wilson, born in Ireland July 19, 
1902, son of Samuel and Margaret Wilson. Sponsors, 
John Anderson and Eliza Wehls. 

Jessie Brown Clark, daughter of Henry W. and 
Jessie B. Clark, born December 9, 1896. Sponsors, 
Edward and Alice Gould and Rebecca Torrence. In 
church, at Sunday evening service. 

November 23, 1902: 

Harriett Ellen Clibbens, daughter of Benjamin and 
Emily H. Clibbens, born July 19, 1902. Sponsors, 
Mr. and Mrs. James Burnett. At Sunday morning 
service. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 207 


February 4, 1903: 

George Ludwig King, son of George L. and Nellie 
O. King, born October 4, 1902. Sponsors, George 
King, the grandfather, and Mary Ashford, the grand- 
mother. At the home of the parents, in Bellevue, 
Pa. 

March 6, 1903: 

Ethel Alice Gibson, adult, born August 1, 1884, 
daughter of William F. and Mary A. Gibson. Wit- 
ness, her mother, Mrs. Mary A. Gibson. 

Lydia Clara Gilbert, adult, born April 4, 1887, 
daughter of Russell V.and Clara M. Gilbert. Witness, 
Mrs. Elizabeth C. Lowe. In church, first Friday in 
Lent, at4 P.M. 

April 1, 1903: 

Harriett Miriam Bond, daughter of Robert C. and 
Harriett E. Bond, born October 20, 1902. Sponsors, 
Mrs. Joseph Bowman and William L. Bond, Sr. At 
evening service, third Wednesday in Lent. 

April 10, 1903: 

Eugene Yensch Coward, born June 6, 1902, son of 
John W.and Mary A. Coward. Sponsors, Mary Ann 
Coward and the mother. 

Albert Edward Smith, born January 27, 1901, son 
of George T. and Lillie M. Smith. Sponsors, Lillie 
May Jarvis and the mother. 

Elizabeth Grace Jarvis, born November 16, 1902, 
daughter of William O. and Lillie M. Jarvis. Spon- 
sors, David H. and Elizabeth G. Smith. 

Walter Jacob Minsinger, born August 24, 1902, son 
of Walter J. and Lillie Minsinger. Sponsors, Annie 
Minsinger and the mother. 

Hazel Ada Zehfuss, born December 23, 1902, daugh- 
ter of Edward M. and Martha Zehfuss. Sponsors, 
Ada Zehfuss and the mother. 

Rudolph David John Rosenkranz, born December 
24, 1896,son of Rudolf A. and Annie J. Rosenkranz. 
Sponsors, Max Rosenkranz, an uncle, and the mother. 
At service in the church, Good Friday, 4 P. M. 

June 7, 1903: 

William Stewart, born April 23, 1893; Martha 
Stewart, born November 6, 1896; children of John 
and Martha Stewart. Sponsors, Mary J. Hall and 
the mother. At Sunday morning service, in the 
church. 


208 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 21, 1903: 

Howard Clark Niven, son of Walter C. and Bertha 
M. Niven, born at Glassport, Pa., December 9, 1902. 
Sponsors, Howard C Niven, an uncle, and Mrs. A. C. 
Niven, the grandmother. 

John Clemens Morgan, adult, born June 20, 1886, — 
son of James D. and Mary C. Morgan. Witnesses, 
his mother and Thomas J. Bigham. 


September 20, 1903: 

Hugh Voigt Groves, son of Fred H. and Viola S. 
Groves, born March 9, 1903. Sponsors, Mrs. George 
J. Humbert and the father. At morning service, in 
church. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 209 


CONFIRMATIONS 
IN 
Grace CHurcH, Mount WASHINGTON, 
1853-1903, 
As RECORDED IN THE PARISH REGISTER. 


By the Rt. Rev. Alonza Potter, D. D., Bishop of 
Pennsylvania. Rev. Richard Smith, Rector. 


September 14, 1854. 

Thomas J. Bigham, Margaret Lowen, Maria Lowen, 
Margaret A. Neely, Robert Neely, Ephriam Reese, 
Ellen Stubbs and Rebecca Wilson. 

April 27, 1857. 
Rey. Charles W. Quick, Rector. 

George Chivers, Olive Chivers, Barbara Ditmore 
and Kate Golding. 

By the Rt. Rev. William Bacon Stevens, D. D., Asst. 
Bishop: of Pennsylvania. Rev. Gustavus W. 
Mayer, Rector. 

August 1, 1862. 

Mrs. Phebe A. McMillin, John C. Shaler, Jr., and 

Miss Augusta Shaler. 
May 17, 1864. 
Dr. L. H. Harris, Lay Reader. 

Joel L. Bigham, Elizabeth Minsinger, William Min- 
singer, Emily Smith, David Torrence and Mrs. Mary 
E. Torrence. 

By Rt. Rev. John B. Kerfoot, D. D., First Bishop of 
Pittsburgh. Rev. B. B. Killikelly D. D., Rector. 

September 30, 1866. 


Mrs. Maria Adams, Mrs. Susan Blanton, Mrs. Phebe 
Craig, Mrs. Mary Jane Campbell, Mrs. Alice Hibbs, 
Mrs. Agnes Hughes, William Hughes, Mrs. Sarah 
Goldthorp, Julian G. Maddox, Miss Theresa Shaeffer, 
Miss Dorothy Trotter, and Mrs. Prudence R. Wilmot. 


July 18, 1869. 
Rev. Robert John Coster, Rector. 


Edward Bratt, Nellie Ruth Bratt, Miss Mary Lowen 
Goldthorp, Miss Kate Goldthorp, Miss Elizabeth 
Goldthorp, Miss Amelia Shaeffer, Miss Mary Rebecca 
Torrence, and Miss Sarah Ann Torrence. 


210 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


March 28, 1872—Passion Week, Wednesday, 7:30 
P.M. 

John C. Davitt, Mrs. Nellie Davitt, Miss Sarah Gold- 
thorp, Miss Anna Maria Jackson, Miss Margaret 
Schaeffer, Miss Mary Storer, Miss Elizabeth Torrence 
and Miss Henrietta Wilson. 


December 27, 1873—Sunday after Christmas, 3 P. M. 
Edward H. Dermitt, Mrs. Mary Jane Ewens, Mrs. 
Eliza A. Goehring, Miss Lida A. Goehring, Miss Mar- 
garet Goehring, Mrs. Ann E. Milligan and Melville 
L. Stout. 
May 31, 1874—Trinity Sunday morning. 
Miss Mary Marland, and Charles Stein. 


March 21, 1875—Palm Sunday, 3 P. M. 

Miss Ann Halpin, Miss Mary Halpin, Miss Margaret 
Jane Smith, Robert Reed Torrence and Miss Elizabeth 
G. Zehfuss. 

May 7, 1876—Third Sunday after Easter, 3 P. M. 

William McKean Kurtz, Miss Mary A. I. Wilmot, 
Miss Prudence Theresa Wilmot and Miss Annie Zeh- 
fuss. 

June 10, 1877. 

Miss Dode Goehring, Miss Agnes Thomas and Miss 
Mary ——____—.. 

June 9, 1878. 

A. P. Davis and Mrs. A. P. Davis. 


March 2, 1879. 


Miss Mary J. Bigham,Henry James, Sr., Miss Fanny 
Wilmot and Miss Mary Zehfuss. 


May 9, 1880—Sunday after Ascension, A. M. 


Miss Eliza Augusta Bigham, Miss Minnie Lefferts 
and Mrs. Margaret Douglas Goldthorp. 


By Rt. Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead, D. D., second 
Bishop of Pittsburgh. Rev. Robert John Coster, 
Rector. 

March 8, 1882—Third Wednesday in Lent, evening 

prayer. 

Herbert Anthony Davis, Miss Ann Green, Miss 
Agnes Washington Hughes, Miss Margaret Elizabeth 
Jackson, Miss Ellen Lee Prosser, Miss Mary Mag- 
dalene Stinson and Robert Stinson. 


=a 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 211 


April 6, 1884—-Palm Sunday, A. M 
Thomas F. Ashford, Jr., Frank Goehring, Miss Lot- 
tie Marland and Miss Edith Milligan. 


March 25, 1885—Fifth Wednesday in Lent, at evening 
prayer. 
Thomas Furber, Miss Mary Elizabeth Kenah, Miss 
Elmina McMillin, Mrs. Lucy D. Montgomery, Miss 
Natalie Schank and Miss Edith Smithson. 


March 21, 1886—Second Sunday in Lent, A. M. 

Miss Ida Josephine Armiger, George Edward List, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Smithson, Miss Augusta Margaret 
Shaler, Miss Edith Amelia Shaler, Miss Mary Ann 
Thompson and Miss Emma Ann Torrence. 


March 27, 1887—Fifth Sunday in Lent, A. M. 
Miss Georgina Ashford, Miss Emily McMillin, Miss 


Annie Halpin Hughes, Edward Conway Shaler, and 
Miss Caroline A. Wilmot. 


March 25, 1888—Palm Sunday, A. M. Twentieth 
year of the rectorship of the Rev. Robert John 
Coster. 

Mrs. Mary A. Ashford, Mrs. Margaret Armiger, Mrs. 
Alice Belle Bollman, Robert Coster Bond, Frank 
Speer Brunt, Harry Lee Brunt, Miss Nellie Lorena 
Brunt, William Hamilton Brunt, Mrs. Cornelia S. 
Chamberlain, Walter Dixon, Mrs. Selina Florence, 
Samuel Henry Kenah, William P. Linhart, Ernest 
Whitworth Marland, Mrs. Margaret H. McKain, Miss 
Caroline R. Naysmith, Mrs. Sarah A. Naysmith, Miss 
Isabella B. Naysmith, Harry W. Neely, Walter Clark 
Niven, Mrs. Jane M. Niven, Miss Catherine A. Price, 
Mrs. Amanda A. Purkey, Mrs. Lewis C. Purkey, Lewis 
C. Purkey, Edward C. Purkey, Mrs. Margaret Reed, 
Robert Wilson Revelvy, Harry Gibson Shaler, Harry 
Peterson Speer, William Brunt Speer, Mrs. Mary 
Stinson, wife of Robert, and Mrs. Mary Ann Storer. 


May 19, 1889—Fourth Sunday after Easter, 3:30 
P. M. 


Frank S. Bond, Mrs. William P. Linhart and Mrs. 
Clara Montreville. 


212 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


April 6, 1890—Easter Sunday evening. 

Nellie Olive Ashford, Maude Gertrude Burrows, 
Miss Clara Ann Bowman, John Cooper Bindley, John 
Boyce, Miss Helena Marie Dermitt, Miss Matilda So- 
phia Henkler, Miss Sadie Belle Linhart, William Nay- 
smith, Miss Catherine Needham, George Eynon Reed, 
Orin W. Sadler, M. D., Miss Verona Jane Taylor 
Wilmot and Miss Ida May Zehfuss. 


April 12, 1891—Second Sunday after Easter. 

Miss Anna Brokaw Armiger, Miss Sarah Harris 
Armstrong, John Charles Herbert, James Lewis Mc- 
Kain, Miss Mabel Ruth Miller, Robert George Nay- 
smith, Miss Maude Amelia Robertson, Miss Mabel 
Reta Stevens, Miss Minnie Blanche White and Wil- 
liam Jay White. 

April 3, 1892—Fifth Sunday in Lent, P. M. 

Miss Mary Florence Ashford, Miss Cornelia Augusta 
Bowman, Miss Emma May Heinrich, William Kirk- 
land Hughes, Miss Josephine Ellen Needham, Miss 
Elizabeth Torrence, Robert Torrence, Oscar Brashear 
Torrence and Miss Mary Alice Whaley. 


March 15, 1893—Fifth Wednesday in Lent, P. M. 

Harry Butterfield, Edward John Gould, Albert 

Heinrich, Samuel Marlow Pare, Miss Harriett Reed 
and Miss Rachel Louise Wait. 


March 18, 1894—Palm Sunday, P. M. 

Miss Margaret Elise Altstadt, Miss Elizabeth Carter, 
George B. McClellan Hannam, Mrs. Matilda Sophia 
Hannam, Christ John Fred. Heinrich, Miss Geraldine 
Annie Howes, William Boisol Kenah, Albert George . 
Lowe, Miss Harriett Elizabeth Lowe, John Johnson 
Lowe, Mildred Lee Phillips, William Denning Shaler 
and Robert Clinton Woods. 


April 7, 1895—Palm Sunday, 7:30 P. M. 
Agnes Chambers, Lillian Goldthrop Dermitt, Selina 
Alicia Florence,Sadie Glaze, Maude Amanda Hannam, 
Jeannette R. Lewis McKain, Agnes McRae, Alberta 
Martel, Annie Woods, Lynn Morris Thompson, Stan- 
ley Fitton Wilmot, William James Woods and Edward 
ward Minsinger Zehfuss. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 213 


April 3, 1896—Good Friday, 7:30 o’clock, P. M. 

Joseph Eichbaum Ashford, Thomas James Bigham, 
James Edgar Flinn, Roland Lee Goldthorp, Frederick 
Hugh Groves, George Abraham Johnson, Joseph Nag- 
lee Reeves, George Frank Slocum, William Kerr 
Thompson, Catherine Flinn, Fanny Charlotte Mason, 
Mabel Lotus McCormick, Florence Elizabeth Sellars 
and Clara Vincent Small. 

The Bishop preached on the Atonement. No 
processional hymn, and no singing in the service, ex- 
cept Hymn No. 100 before the sermon and No. 501 
before the confirmation, and the recessional, ‘‘ Guide 
me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” 


April 4, 1897—Fifth Sunday in Lent, 4 P. M. 

Samuel Harper Howarth, Harry Minnus McCombe, 
Harry Chesney M. McDonald, Howard Floyd Small, 
Catherine Francis Alstadt, Alice Julia Silence Gould, 
Matilda Eva Heinrich, Caroline May Howarth, Lillian 
Martel, Harriett Deborah McCormick, Edith Loretta 
Minsinger, Sarah Caroline Minsinger, and Florence 
Emma Moyer. 

Music by the vested choir of 16 boys and 3 men, 
with Mr. W. H. Sweitzer at the organ. Solo sung by 
Mr. Reed, of Trinity Church choir, during the offer- 
tory. 


April 24, 1898—Second Sunday after Easter, 7:30 
eda 

Clarence George Brush, Charles Wilmot Coward, 
James Stewart Florence, William Hoppman, Harry 
James, Wilfred Drabbel Lowe, Albert Coster Turbett, 
George Hobday Wilmot, Edna Kane Cartwright, 
Prudence Rebecca Coward, Ella Margarite McKain, 
Esther M. Moyer, Florence Martha Schmidt, Alice T. 
Torrence and Nellie Torrence. 

The rector read the service and the Bishop preached 
the sermon. Music by the vested choir, with Wil- 
liam H. Sweitzer at the organ. 

March 26, 1899—Palm Sunday, at 3 P. M. 

Annie Lenora Ashford, Elizabeth Alice Purkey, 
Florence Elizabeth Thorn and Charles Francis Adams 
Ritchie. 

Music by the vested choir. Solo sung during the 
offertory by George Howarth. 


214 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


March 11, 1900—Second Sunday in Lent, 3:30 P. M. 


Harry Anderson, William Alfred Bowman, Albert 
Glaze, William Thomas Higginson, Ralph Reed Lewis, 
Joseph Niell, William John Niell, Mary Ann Barnes, 
Anna Gibson, Mary Jane Gibson, Margaret, Winifred 
Kemp and Viola Sarah Voigt. 

Music by vested choir of 6 boys and 6 men, with 
Henry W. Clark at the organ. 


March 24, 1901—Fifth Sunday in Lent, 4 P. M. 

Salina Beatrice Boyce, Inez May Douthitt, Caro- 
line May Flinn, Charlotte Sophia Heinrich, Alice Eden 
Kemp, Alma Lillian Moyer, Louise Helen Schmidt, 
Maria Louise Stout and Mary Della Towse. 

The rector read the service and the Bishop preached 
the sermon. Music by the vested choir of 6 men 
and 12 women. Solo sung by Mrs. T. J. Bigham dur- 
ing the offertory, Henry W. Clark presiding at the 
organ. 


March 9, 1902—Fourth Sunday in Lent, 3:30 P. M. 


Frederick Bradley, George Minsinger Howarth, 
James Whitehead, Mary Isabella Bowman, Patience 
Virginia Brush, Isabella Herbert Coward, Violet Irene 
Coward, Olive Virginia Mason, Edith Elizabeth Min- 
singer, Mary Blanche Minsinger, Helen Stinson Neely, 
Nellie Niell and Annie Whitehead. 

The Bishop read the lessons and prayers and 
preached. Music by vested choir. Solo sung by 
Miss Eggers, with Henry W. Clark at the organ. 


March 29, 1903—Fifth Sunday in Lent, 3:30 P. M. 


Alice Stinson Ashford, Margaret Blackmore Ash- 
ford, Lillian Helen Boyce, Gladys Elizabeth Crum, 
Ethel Alice Gibson, Lydia Clara Gilbert, Mrs. Ida 
May Heinrich, Edith Cameron Lowe, Blanche Olivet 
Minsinger, Ada Wilhelmina Zehfuss, Gertrude Ma- 
tilda Zehfuss and Thomas George Purkey. 

The rector said evening prayer, Thomas J. Bigham 
reading the lessons. The Bishop addressed the class. 
No sermon. ° Music by the vested choir of 5 men and 
8 women, with Frederick W. Hall at the organ. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 215 


MARRIAGES 
OF 


PARISHIONERS OF GRACE CHURCH, Mount WASHING- 
TON, PirtsBuRGH, 1860-1903. 


The Parish Register does not contain any record of 
marriages prior to the year 1860. 


July 4, 1860. 

Jeremiah Jones and Charlotte Joyce, in Grace 
Church, at 8 o’clock A. M., by the Rev. Jubal Hodges, 
in the presence of the congregation. 

April 14, 1867. 

Melchior Verner and Matilda C. McClurg, in Grace 
Church, at noon, by the Rev. B. B. Killikelly, in the 
presence of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Bigham and 
others. 

May 3, 1867. 

Alexander Campbell and Mary Jane King, at the 
residence of Thomas J. Bigham, Woodlawn, Mount 
Washington, by the Rev. B. B. Killikelly, D. D., 
rector, in the presence of the family and the vestry of 
Grace Church. 

November 4, 1869. 

John C. Shaler, Jr., son of John Conway Shaler, of 
Duquesne Heights, and grandson of Judge Charles 
Shaler, of Pittsburgh, and Ellen Ruth Bratt, daughter 
of Squire Edward Bratt, in Grace Church, at 11 
o’clock A. M., by the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, in the 
presence of the parents of the bride and groom and 
a large gathering of their friends. 

October 5, 1871. 

Thomas W. Steele and Mary Goldthorp, daughter 
of Samuel H. and Sarah Lowen Goldthorp, by the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, at the residence of the 
bride’s parents, Wyoming street, near Sycamore, in 
the presence of her father’s family, her grandfather’s 
(George Lowen’s) family and other friends. 

February 22, 1872. 

Adam A. Milligan and Nannie Goehring, daughter 
of Charles Goehring, by the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, 
at 9 o’clock P. M., at the residence of the bride’s par- 
ents, Grandview avenue, near Stanwix street, in the 
presence of the family and a large number of friends. 


216 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 18, 1874. 

Edward H. Dermitt and Kate Goldthorp, daughter 
of Samuel H. and Sarah Lowen Goldthorp, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, in Grace Church, at 8 
o’clock P. M., in the presence of Joshua Goldthorp, 
brother of the bride, and Sarah Dermitt, sister of the ~ 
groom, witnesses of the marriage, and a large congre- 
gation of the friends of the two families. 

At the conclusion of the ceremony the rector, in 
behalf of the congregation, with a few words of con- 
gratulation, presented to the bride and groom a 
handsome family Bible, as a token of their love and 
good wishes and as an acknowledgment of the faith- 
ful and valuable services of both of them as members 
of the choir of Grace Church. 


October 26, 1875. 

John Bindley and Emeline Houston, daughter of 
Edward and Mary Houston, by the rector, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman Institute, corner 
of Penn avenue and Fourth street, at 9:30 P. M., in 
the presence of Messrs. Edwin and Albion Bindley, 
brothers of the groom, and Messrs. Edward F. and 
Charles W. Houston, brothers of the bride, Mrs. 
Charles S. Black and a number of others. 


March 28, 1877. 

Tom Thomas Ewens and Mary Elizabeth Davis, 
by the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman In- 
stitute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth street, 
at 8:30 P. M., in the presence of George Glass and 
Violet H. Swem, as witnesses. 

September 27, 1877. 

John Kinney and Sarah Smith, daughter of Mrs. 
Alfred Marland by her first marriage, by the rector, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the residence of Mr. Altred 
Marland, Southern avenue, the home of the bride, 
at 8:30 P. M., in the presence of the family and a 
company of friends. 

October 25, 1877. 

David Henry Smith and Elizabeth Grace Zehfuss, 
by the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, in Grace Church, 
at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence of Mrs. E. H. Der- 
mitt and the congregation. 


"A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 217 


November 13, 1879. 

David Smith and Emma Phillishoddy, daughter of 
Dr. Phillishoddy, by the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
in Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence 
of the congregation, friends of the bride and groom. 


January 27, 1880. 

George Alfred Glaze and Emma James, daughter 
of Henry and Ann James, of Bigham street, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman 
Institute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth street, 
at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence of Miss Amy Glaze 
and Mrs. R. J. Coster, as witnesses. 

April 13, 1880. 

John Oakley and Imogen Brashear, by the Rev. 

R. J. Coster and Bishop Kerfoot, in St. Andrew’s 

‘Church, Pittsburgh, at 7:30 P. M., in the presence of 
a large congregation. 
April 28, 1880. 

James Bennett Boggs, son of the late Samuel Boggs, 
of Boggs avenue, and Sarah Goldthrop, daughter of 
Samuel H. and Sarah Lowen Goldthorp, by the rector, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the residence of the bride’s 
parents, Wyoming street, near Sycamore, at 1 o'clock 
P. M., in the presence of Lincoln Boggs, brother of 
the groom, and Miss Julia Jenkins, as witnesses, and 
a large company of friends of the two families. 

The rector and his wife offered hearty congratula- 
tions to the young couple—to the bride as a loved 
graduate of the Bishop Bowman Institute, and to the 
groom as an honored friend whom they had known 
from childhood. 

j September 1, 1880. 

Cyrus M. Robinson and Lida Ann Goehring, daugh- 
ter of Charles and Eliza A. Goehring, by the rector, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman Insti- 
tute, corner Penn avenue and Fourth street, at 4:30 
P. M., in the presence of the rector’s family. 

November 8, 1880. 

John William Coward and Mary Ann Wilmot, 
daughter of George and Prudence R. Wilmot, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman 
Institute, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence of Pru- 
dence Wilmot, sister of the bride, and William Kraus- 
lever, as witnesses. 


218 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


March 25, 1881. 
Alfred Marland and Sarah Smith, at their resi- 
dence, Southern avenue, at 6 P. M., with Kirk Q. 
Bigham as witness. 


April 19, 1881. 

Robert Reed Torrence and Emma Ann Comar, by 
the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bow- 
man Institute, corner Penn avenue and Fourth street, 
at 4 o'clock P. M., in the presence of the rector’s 
family. 

December 25, 1883. 

Charles Walter, Jr., and Minnie Lefferts, daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. James Lefferts, by the rector, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, at the residence of the bride’s parents, 
Virginia Avenue, near Bertha Street, in the presence 
of the parents of the bride and groom and a company 
of friends of the two families. 

August 30, 1884. 

William Henry James and Mary Elizabeth Costello, 
by the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop 
Bowman Institute corner of Penn avenue and Fourth 
street, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence of Margaret 
Brown and Mrs. R. J. Coster, as witnesses. 

October 9, 1884. 

Andrew Cuthbert and Mrs. Anna Belle Hahn, at 
the residence of William Hamilton, 17 Lincoln ave- 
nue, Allegheny, at 8 P. M., in the presence of Mr. and 
Mrs. William Hamilton and other friends. 

December 4, 1884. 

Edwin Bindley and Mary Jane Musgrove, daughter 
of James Musgrove, by the rector, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster, at the residence of the bride’s father, corner 
of Fifth and Aiken avenues, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the 
presence of Mr. Musgrove and family and a company 
of friends. 

April 7, 1885. 

Melville L. Stout and Mary A. Bigham, dcugtes 
of Mrs. Maria L, and the late Thomas J. Bigham, by 
the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at Woodlawn, the 
residence of the bride’s mother, Thirty-second Ward, 
Mount Washington, in the presence of Kirk G. Bigham, 
the brother, and Eliza Bigham, the sister of the bride, 
and Harry Stout, the brother of the groom, as wit- 
nesses. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 219 


January 19, 1886. 

William Anderson Reese and Sarah Isabella Bond, 
daughter of William L. and Anna M. Bond, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the residence of the 
bride’s parents, corner of Virginia avenue and Oneida 
street, Duquesne Heights, in the evening, in the pres- 
ence of Mr. and Mrs. Bond and Benjamin Reese, 
brother of the groom, and a large company of friends. 


June 10, 1886. 

Charles William Weygand and Hannah Irene Rob- 
inson, daughter of James and Mary A. Robinson, by 
the rector, the Rev. Robert J. Coster, at the bride’s 
residence, Cowan street, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the 
presence of the family and a number of friends of the 
bride and groom. 


October 7, 1886. 

John Stanford Trunick and Mary Bailey, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman 
Institute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth street, 
at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence of John Lewis and 
Fanny Cosgrove, as witnesses. 

July 11, 1887. 

James Robinson and Minnie Good, by the rector, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman Insti- 
tute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth street, in 
the presence of Charles C. Coster, son of the rector, 
and George Jones, as witnesses. 

October 13, 1887. 

Robert Stinson and Mary E. C. M. Wilbert, daugh- 
ter of John Wilbert, by the rector, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster, in Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the pres- 
ence of Oliver Stinson and Stanley Neely, as wit- 
messes, and a congregation of their friends. 

April 26, 1888. 

Morris Dallett and Margaret B. Millard, by the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, at the residence of Miss Mary Mc- 
Clurg, South Thirty-third and Carson streets, city, in 
the presence of Miss Mary McClurg, Mrs. Verner and 
Mrs. John B. Dunlevy, as witnesses. 

September 6, 1888. 

Harry W. Neely and Mary Magdalene Stinson, 
daughter of Mrs. Ann Stinson, by the rector, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, in Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M., in 
the presence of Alfred Auchinbaugh and Sarah Hal- 


220 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


pin, cousins of the bride, as witnesses, and a congrega- 
tion of friends. 

The ceremony was followed by a large reception at 
the bride’s home, on Bailey avenue, where the young 
couple received the congratulations of their numer- 
ous friends. 


September 13, 1888. 

Jacob Lickel and Francis R. Wilmot, daughter of 
George and Prudence Wilmot, by the rector, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, at the Bishop Bowman Institute, at 8 
o’clock P. M., in the presence of Prudence Wilmot, 
sister of the bride, and the rector’s wife. 


February 9, 1889. 

Stephen Leedham and Mary Ann Harrison, by the 
rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, at the residence of Ed- 
ward Palmer, Southern avenue, at 6 o'clock P. M., 
Edward and Ann A. Palmer and Archibald and Mary 
J. Kennedy being witnesses. 

June 5, 1889. 

Albion Bindley and Sarah L. Slocum, sister of Mrs. 
Dr. O. W. Sadler, by the rector, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
in Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M., in the presence 
of a large congregation. Adelaide Bindley, Edwin 
Bindley and Albion B. McMillin, the young niece and 
nephews of the groom, and Lucy Sadler, the young 
niece of the bride, led the bridal procession and acted 
as witnesses of the marriage. 

After the ceremony a reception was held at Dr. O. 
W. Sadler’s, where the bride and groom received the 
congratulations of their large circle of friends. 

January 30, 1890. 

Stanley L. Neely and Ella A. Harper, daughter of 
the late Maj. Samuel Harper, by the rector, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, at the residence of the bride’s mother, 
Mrs. Helen Harper, Grandview avenue, at 8:30 P. M., 
in the presence of a large company of friends, Edwin 
Smith, a cousin of the bride, and John Davies acting as 
witnesses. 

June 10, 1890. 

John Charles Herbert and Prudence T. Wilmot, 
daughter of George and Prudence R. Wilmot, at the 
Bishop Bowman Institute, corner of Penn avenue 
and Fourth street, at 1 o’clock P. M., by the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, rector, in the presence of the rector’s 

amily. 


aa 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 221 


November 11, 1890. 

John Marland Smith, son of Mrs. Alfred Marland 
by her first marriage, and Agnes E. Dilworth, daugh- 
ter of Mr. Dilworth, of Beaver Falls, by the Rev. R. 
J. Coster, rector, at the Bishop Bowman Institute, 
at 4:30 P. M., in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. A. K. 
Martell, brother-in-law and sister of the grcom, and 
Mr. and Mrs. Dilworth, parents of the bride. 


March 25, 1891. 

Frank W. Gordon and Carrie A. Booth, daughter of 
James J. Booth, at the residence of the bride’s parents, 
corner of Boquet and Wilmot streets, by the Rev. R. 
J. Coster, at 8 P. M., in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. 
Booth and a company of friends of the bride and 
groom. 


June 10, 1891. 

Phillip Keller and Elizabeth McNally, at the Bishop 
Bowman Institute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth 
street, by the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, at 8 o’clock 
P. M., in the presence of Thomas D. Keller, Rebecca 
W.L. Dalzell and the rector’s family. 


June 25, 1891. 

Oliver Halpin Stinson and Anna Marguerite Hos- 
bach, daughter of Mrs. Hosbach, of Hazelwood, in 
Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M., by the Rt. Rev. Cort- 
landt Whitehead, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Pitts- 
burgh, in the presence of Messrs. James Littell, Thomas 
F. Ashford, Jr., William Halpin, Jr., John Armstrong 
and John Johnston, as witnesses, and a large congre- 
gation. 

In the absence of the rector the Bishop officiated; 
the vested choir, under Mr. D. D. Ezechiels organist, 
redered the music for the occasion, making this the 
first choral wedding, as well as one of the most inter- 
teresting, ever held in the church. 

September 9, 1891. 

William H. Moffatt and May J. Hopkins, at the resi- 
dence of the bride’s brother, J. W. Hopkins , Southern 
avenue, by the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, in the pres- 
ence of Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins and Miss Briggs. 

October 8, 1891. 

Thomas F. Ashford, Jr., eldest son of Thomas F. 
Ashford, Sr., of Virginia street, and Harriett J. Berry, 
daughter of Daniel Berry, of Wyoming street, in 
Grace Church, at 12 o’clock M., by the Rev. R. J. 


222 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Coster, rector, in the presence of Mr. George King, 
the parents of the bride and groom, and a large con- 
gregation of the friends of the two families. 


October 29, 1891. 

Samuel Washburne Harper, eldest son of the late 
Maj. Samuel Harper, and Ignatia Marland, second 
daughter of the Hon. Alfred Marland, in Grace Church, 
at 7:30 P. M., by the Rev. R. J. Coster, in the pres- 
ence of Miss Charlotte Marland, the sister of the bride, 
Mrs. Lindsay and a large congregation. 

After the ceremony a reception was held at the 
residence of Mr. Alfred Marland, Southern avenue, 
where the young couple received the congratulations 
their numerous friends. 

October 18, 1892. 

William H. Newmeyer and Isabella B. Naysmith, 
at the Bishop Bowman Institute, corner of Penn 
avenue and Fourth street, at 3 o’clock P. M., by the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, in the presence of Miss Ida 
Armiger, the Misses Naysmith, sisters of the bride, 
and the rector’s wife. 

December 28, 1892. 

Leonard Rau and Agnes W. Hughes, daughter of 
Mrs. Annie Hughes, widow of the late William Hughes, 
at the residence of the bride’s mother, corner of Nor- 
ton and Cowan streets, by the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, in the presence of Mr. S. J. Creighton, Miss 
Annie Hughes, sister of the bride,Mrs. Hughes, Mr. and 
Mrs. Rau, parents of the groom, and a large com- 
pany of the friends of the young couple. 

February 7, 1893. 

Thomas Golding Bond, eldest son of William L. 
Bond, and Virginia Lowen, eldest daughter of John 
Lowen and granddaughter of the late George Lowen, 
one of the first vestrymen of Grace Church, at the 
home of the bride’s parents, Union Township, Alle- 
gheny County, by the Rev. R.J. Coster, rector, at 
8 o'clock P. M., in the presence of the bride’s father 
and sister, Mr. and Mrs. William L. Bond, parents of 
the groom, and a large company of others, who after 
the ceremony offered their congratulations to the 
young couple. 

April 25, 1893. 

James H. Hamnett, of Wilkinsburg, and Sarah 

Goldthorp Halpin, third daughter of William and 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 223 


Maria Cowen Halpin, at the residence of the bride’s 
parents, Virginia and Stanwix streets, by the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, rector, at 7 o'clock P. M., in the presence 
of William Singer, William and Mary Halpin, brother 
and sister of the bride, the parents of the bride and 
groom, and a number of others, relatives and friends. 

The young couple received the hearty congratu- 
lations of their friends and many handsome presents 
as tokens of their love and best wishes. 

January 4, 1894. 

Samuel Marlow Pare, son of William Pare and 
grandson of John Pare, and Catherine Ann Price, 
daughter of John Price, at the Bishop Bowman In- 
stitute, corner of Penn avenue and Fourth street, at 
3 o'clock P. M., by the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, in 
the presence of Caroline B. Naysmith and William 
Naysmith, cousins of the groom. 

June 14, 1894. 

Allan Beham Angney and Ida Sophie Reineman, 
daughter of George Reineman, at the residence of the 
bride’s father, Troy Hill, Allegheny, at 6 P. M., by 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, in the presence of the 
family and a number of friends. 

April 2, 1895. 

George William Dover, of Providence, Rhode 
Island, and Mabel Ogareta Stevens, of Pittsburgh, at 
the residence of William C. Stevens, the bride’s father, 
1107 Grandview avenue, by the bride’s rector, the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, in the presence of William C. 
Stevens, Delmar A. Stevens, Edna Johnson and a 
number other friends. 

October 10, 1895. 

Elmer Ellsworth Brosuis and Irene Gertrude Wat- 
son, at the residence of the bride’s family, 234 Wash- 
ington street, Allegheny, Pa. Witnesses: Grace F. 
Watson, George W. Watson and Jessie A. Spence. 

(License No. 1375, Series C.) 

May 6, 1896. 
- George Francis Slocum and Ardella Armstrong, in 
Grace Church, at 8 o’clock P. M. Harry Shaler and 
Sarah Armstrong, sister of the bride, witnesses. 

The choir of Trinity Church, with Walter E. Hall 
at the organ, furnished the music for the occasion. 

(License No. 4902, Series C.) 


224 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


June 10, 1896. 

James Still McKean, of Pittsburgh, and Athalia 
Hudson Daly, daughter of Thomas L. Daly, of Belle 
Vernon, Pa., in Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, at 12 
o’clock M., the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating, assisted 
by the Rev. A.W. Arundel, D. D., rector of Trinity _ 
Church. 

September 8, 1896. 

James Russell Dodworth, of Allegheny, and Mary 
Elizabeth Kenah, daughter of William L. and Mary 
Kenah, of Bigham street, Thirty-second Ward, city, 
at the residence of the bride’s parents. Witnesses: 
William L. Kenah, Samuel Kenah and others. 

(License No. 7077, Series C.) 

June 9, 1897. 

George Russell Davies, of Pittsburgh, and Ethel 
May Booth, daughter of James J. Booth, of Boquet 
street, city, in the parlor of the Bishop Bowman In- 
stitute, corner of Fifth evenue and Dithridge street, 
at8 P.M. Witnesses: Blanche Booth, sister of the 
bride, and Mrs. R. J. Coster, wife of the officiating 
clergyman. 

(License No. 11441, Series C.) 

June 16, 1897. 

Henry Hepburn Anderson, a Scotchman by birth, 
and Caroline Davis, daughter of George Davis, late of 
England, at the residence of the bride’s father, Au- 
gusta street, Duquesne Heights, city, at 6:30 P. M. 
Witnesses: The bride’s father and Mr. and Mrs. 
George, of Pittsburgh. 

(License No. 11608, Series C.) 

Same day, at 8 P. M. 

John L. Rhodes Miller, of Pittsburgh, and Georgi- 
ana Ashford, daughter of Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., at 
the residence of the bride’s father, Bailey avenue, 
near Ruth Street, in the presence of the bride’s fam- 
ily and a large number of friends. 

(License No. 11610, Series C. 

July 22, 1897. 

Clarence Lincoln Cooper, of Allegheny, and Emma 
Virginia Schmid, daughter of Prof. Francis Schmid, 
at the residence of the bride’s family, No. 6 Stockton 
avenue, Allegheny, Pa., in the presence of Mr. and 
Mrs. Francis Schmid and a company of friends. 

(License No. 12197, Series C.) 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 225 


October 21, 1897. 

Charles Gorvin, of Kansas, and Agnes D.Thompson, 
daughter of the late Mrs. Mary Thompson, of Wyo- 
ming street, Thirty-second Ward, and granddaughter 
of the late Squire Edward Bratt, at the bride’s resi- 
dence, Wyoming street. Witnesses: Mr. and Mrs. 
John C. Shaler, Harry G. Shaler and Mrs. Emma 
Millingar, an aunt of the bride. 

(License No. 13669, Series C.) 


February 10, 1898. 

Charles H. Durham, of Pittsburgh, and Edith 
Amelia Shaler, daughter of Clarence Shaler and 
granddaughter of the late Judge Charles Shaler, in 
Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, at 5:30 P. M., in the 
presence of Augusta Shaler, sister of the bride, Mr. 
Edwin G. Stout and other friends. 

(License No. 15394, Series C.) 

June 21, 1898. 

Alexander Abbott and Ellen Jesson, at the resi- 
dence of Miss Mary Taylor, Shiloh street, near Syca- 
more, Thirty-second Ward, city. Witnesses: Mary 
Taylor and Mrs. Palmer. 

(License No. 17632, Series C.) 

July 20, 1898. 

Samuel James Creighton, of Pittsburgh, and Annie 
Halpin Hughes, daughter of Mrs. William Hughes, at 
the bride’s home, 87 Natchez street. Witnesses: 
Andrew, William and Margaret Hughes. 

(License No. 18175, Series C.) 

October 5, 1898. 

Edward Stanley Corlett, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and 
Mary Minerva Waggoner, daughter of Andrew C. 
Waggoner, at the bride’s residence, Grandview ave- 
nue, near Merrimac street, Thirty-second Ward, 
at 7 o’clock P. M., in the presence of the family and 
the witnesses, Mr. Pierson and Miss 
Soffel. 

(License No. 19389, Series C.) 

October 6, 1898. 

Henry Franklin Wirtz and Mary Margarite Irving, 
in the parlor of the Bishop Bowman Institute, 4504 
Fifth avenue, at 8 P.M. Witnesses: Mr. and Mrs. 
Irving, the bride’s brother and his wife. 

(License No. 19456, Series C.) 








226 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 1, 1898. 

Jeptha Newkirk, of Pittsburgh, and Mary Davage 
Rowand, daughter of A. T. Rowand, of this city, at 
the bride’s residence, 918 Ivy street, at 6 P. M. 
Witnesses: A. T. Rowand, Jr., and Lucy Rowand. 

(License No. 20588, Series C.) 


January 24, 1899. 

Charles Francis Adams Ritchie, of Pittsburgh, and 
Harriett Elizabeth Lowe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
John J. Lowe, of Plymouth street, Duquesne Heights, 
in the parlor of the Bishop Bowman Institute, No. 
4504 Fifth avenue, at 1:30 P. M. Witnesses: Mrs. 
John J. Lowe, Mrs. R. J. Coster and Miss 
Dermitt. 

(License No. 21380, Series C.) 


June 27, 1899. 

James Whitehead, of Pittsburgh, and Annie Fla- 
herty, of thesame place, in the parlor of the Bishop 
Bowman Institute, No. 4504 Fifth avenue, at 7:30 
P. M. Witnesses: Benjamin Reithel and Annie 
Orshman. 

(License No. 24181, Series C.) 


July 11, 1899. 

Thomas James Bigham, son of the late Joel L. 
and Sarah Bigham and grandson of the late Thomas 
J. and Maria L. Bigham, and Ida Newell, daughter of 
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newell, of Virginia avenue, 
Thirty-second Ward, in Grace Church, at 10:30 A.M., 
in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newell, Kirk 
Q. Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Stout and others. 

(License No. 24502, Series C.) 


July 12, 1899. 

Frank Skidamore Bond, sonof William L. and 
Annie M. Bond, of Virginia avenue, Duquesne Heights 
and Cornelia A. Bowman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Joseph Bowman, of Maple Terrace, Stanwix street; 
at the residence of the bride’s parents, at 8 o’clock 
P.M. Witnesses, Robert C. Bond, John Bowman and 
Harry Speer. 

(License No. 24549, Series C.) 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 227 


September 5, 1900. 

George Ludwig King, son of GeorgeKing, of South 
Side, Pittsburgh, and Nellie Olive Ashford, daughter 
of Thomas F. and Mary Ashford, of Bailey avenue, 
in St. Peter's Church, Grant and Diamond streets, 
Pittsburgh, at 6 P. M. Witnesses: William Shafer 
and Mary Ashford, a sister of the bride; the Rev. R. 
J. Coster, D. D., officiating, assisted by the Rev. Dr. 
Ward, the rector of St. Peter’s. 

(License No. 8148, Series D.) 


On thesame day at 8 P. M.:: 

Robert Coster Bond, third son of William L. and 
Annie M. Bond, of Virginia avenue, Duquesne 
Heights, and Harriett Elizabeth A. Bowman, daugh- 
ter of Joseph Bowman, of Maple Terrace, Stanwix 
street, at the residence of the bride’s parents, in the 
presence of the family and the witnesses, Mr. James 
M. Stone and Miss May Neely. 

(License No. 8133, Series D.) 


February 12, 1901. 

Samuel Wilson Dyer, of Pittsburgh, and Caroline 
Minsinger Howarth, daughter of John and Elizabeth 
Howarth, of Prospect street, Thirty-second Ward, 
at the residence of the bride’s parents, 8 o’clock P.M. 
Witnesses: Mr. Hall and Miss Shilling. 

(License No. 11971, Series D.) 


May 2, 1901. 

Benjamin Clibbens and Emily H. Smith, at No. 
239 Alpine avenue, Allegheny, Pa., at 3 o0’clock P. M. 
Witness: Edward Purkey. 

(License No. 13557, Series D.) 


June 6, 1901. 

Charles G. Jeffery, of Pittsburgh, and Sarah H. 
Armstrong, daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Armstrong, 
of Penn and Braddock avenues, at the home of the 
bride’s mother, at 7 o’clock P. M. Witnesses: Miss 


Elberty, Harry Jeffery and the family. 


August 14, 1901. 

William John White, of Pittsburgh, and Carrie 
Kennedy Hawk, at the bride’s residence, No. 6823 
MacPherson street, at 7 o’clock P. M. 

(License No. 15976, Series D.) 


228 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 24, 1901. 
John Jackson O’ Leary, of Ridge avenue, Allegheny, 
a broker by occupation, and Alberta Hortense Lare, 
daughter of Edwin Lare, of Washington street, Alle- 
gheny, at the residence of the bride’s family, at 7 
o'clock P. M. 
(License No. 19352, Series D.) 


January 27, 1902. 

Fluellen L. Fluker (colored) and Florence Lowe 
(colored) at the residence of the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. 
D., 1064 Shady Avenue, at 9 o’clock P. M. Wit- 
nesses: Mrs. R. J. Coster and Mr. and Mrs. Burnett. 

(License No. 20201, Series D.) 


February 5, 1902. 

John G. McCaskey, a merchandise broker of Pitts- 
burgh, and Mary F. Ashford, daughter of Mrs. Mary 
Ashford, of Bailey avenue, at the residence of the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., No. 1064 Shady avenue, at 
3 P.M. Witnesses: Mrs. Mary Ashford, mother of 
the bride, and Mr. William McCaskey, brother of the 
groom. 

(License No. 20570, Series D.) 

March 31, 1902. 

Fred. Johnson, of Pittsburgh, and Mary J. Gibson, 
daughter of William T. Gibson, of Kearsage street, 
Thirty-second Ward, at the bride’s residence 305 
Kearsage street, at 8 P.M. Witnesses: William E. 
Johnson and Anna C. Gibson, sister of the bride. 

(License No. 21417, Series D.) 

April 30, 1902. 

Franklin R. Kenney, lieutenant in the Regular Army 
of the United States, son of John P. and Sarah A. 
Kenney, of Pittsburgh, and Nellie Torrence, daughter 
of David R. Torrence, of Baum Street, at the residence 
of the bride’s father, at 8 o’clock P. M. Witnesses: 
Lieutenant Mayback, Alice Torrence, the bride’s sister, 
and Miss Albertine Junkers. 

July 16, 1902. 

John Hall Musgrave, an attorney of Minneapolis, 
and Elmina McEwen Johnston, of Pittsburgh, daugh- 
ter of William E. and Elmina B. Johnston, at the resi- 
dence of the bride’s father, Centre avenue and Francis 
street, at 8 P. M. Witnesses: Dr. Musgrave, a 
brother of the groom, and the bride’s family. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 229 


September 24, 1902. 

Carl Frederick Sorg, of Pittsburgh, and Blanche 
Olive Booth, daughter of James J. Booth, of Boquet 
street, at the residence of the Rev. R. J. Coster, D D., 
1064 Shady avenue. Witnesses: Daisy D. Shook 
and Mrs. Emmerling. 

(License No. 1527, Series E.) 

October 8, 1902. 

George Enoch Rice, of Waynesburg, and Edna Jane 
Phillips, of West Brownsville, daughter of James J. 
Phillips, at the residence of the bride’s father, at 12 
o’clock M. Witnesses; Thomas A. Bayard and 
Sarah Phillips. 

(License No. 10269, Washington County.) 

December 11, 1902. 

William Edward DuBarry, of Pittsburgh, and 
Elizabeth M. Torrence, daughter of David R. Tor- 
rence, at the residence of the bride’s father, 5604 
Baum street, at 7:30 o’clock P. M. Witnesses: Mr. 
DuBarry, the groom’s brother, and Alice Torrence, the 
bride’s sister. 

(License No. 3957, Series E.) 

January 21, 1903. 

Harry Stanley Lake, doctor of medicine, of Porters- 
ville, Butler County, Pa., and Bessie Douglas Gold- 
thorp, daughter of Joshua R. and Bessie D. Goldthorp, 
of Wilkinsburg, at residence of bride’s parents, 
722 Whitney avenue, Wilkinsburg, at 6:30 P. M. 
Witnesses: Dr. Hill and Lillian Dermitt, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating. 

July 1, 1903. 

Victor C. Benbow, of Pittsburgh, and Anna B. 
Armiger, daughter of James B. Armiger, of Stanwix 
Street, at the residence of the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., 
1064 Shady avenue, at 2 o’clock P. M. Witness: 
Mrs. R. J. Coster. 

(License No. 9888, Series E.) 

September 9, 1903. 

Joseph Glass Noble, doctor of medicine, of Pitts- 
burgh, and Daisy Dean Shook, daughter of Levi 
Shook, of Boquet street; at the residence of the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, D. D., 1064 Shady avenue, at 7 
o’clock P. M. Witnesses: Mrs. Carl F. Sorg, Dr. 
Carson and Mrs. R. J. Coster. 

(License No. 11823, Series E.) 


230 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


BURIALS, 1854-1903. 


No burials recorded in Parish Register prior 
to 1854. 

September 22, 1854; 

John Parker, in Mount Oliver Cemetery, aged 56. 
years. 

November 7, 1854: 

James Victor Leslie, in Allegheny Cemetery, aged 
2 years. 

February 27, 1857: 

Hugh Blackhurst, Allegheny Cemetery, aged 57 
years. 

July 8, 1858: 
Samuel F. Leslie, Allegheny Cemetery, aged 2 years. 
September 8, 1858: 
Thomas Brey, M. D., Allegheny Cemetery, aged 
78 years. 
-_ December 29, 1858: 
Hattie Chivers, Allegheny Cemetery, aged 1 year. 
January —, 1859: 

Ella Laura Chivers, Allegheny Cemetery, aged 6 
years. 

These two children of Mr. and Mrs. George Chivers 
were first buried in the churchyard, but in March, 
1859, their remains were removed to the Allegheny 
Cemetery. 

September 30, 1860: 

Anna Elizabeth Langdon, Concord Cemetery, aged 

14 months, Rev. Jubal Hodges officiating. 
July 10. 1866: 

Phebe Ann McMillin, aged 50 years, wife of Capt. 
John S. McMillin, of Grandview avenue and Bigham 
street. Service at the church, conducted by Dr. 
Killikelly, the rector, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Page 
and the Rev. Mr. Snively, of the city. Buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery. ‘“‘A devout communicant of 
Grace Church, a most excellent Christian woman and 
a valuable member of the church and of society.” 


November 9, 1866: 
Mrs. Susan Blanton, wife of Charles Blanton, in 
Allegheny Cemetery, Rev. B. B. Killikelly, D. D., 
rector, officiating. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 231 


February 3, 1867: 

William Adams, a native of England, aged 66 years, 
in Allegheny Cemetery, by the Rev. B. B. Killikelly, 
D. D., rector. A trustworthy mechanic, engaged for 
twenty-six years in the Pittsburgh Gas Works. A 
devout communicant in the church of his forefathers. . 


August 6, 1871: 

Mary Golding, mother of Capt. Thomas H. Golding, 
of Mount Washington, died at her home, Grandview 
avenue and Shiloh street, and buried in Allegheny 
Cemetery, the Rev. Dr. Page officiating. Aged 80 
years. 


April 15, 1872: 

Capt. Thomas H. Golding, died at his residence, 
Grandview avenue and Shiloh street, Saturday, 13th, 
after a long and painful illness, borne with great pa- 
tience. Funeral service in Trinity Church, Sixth ave- 
nue, and burial in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. 
J. Coster, rector of Grace Church, officiating. Aged 
50 years. 


July 24, 1872: 
Mary Alberta Torrence, infant daughter of David 
R. and Margaret Torrence, aged 13 months; in Con- 
cord Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


April 27, 1873: 

Mrs. Dorothy Trotter Woods, wife of John Woods 
and daughter of Robert and Dorothy Trotter, of 
Mount Washington, aged 23 years. Service in Grace 
Church; burial in Hilldale Cemetery, the rector offi- 
ciating, 

January 7, 1874: 

Samuel Goldthorpe Steele, infant son of Thomas 
W. and Mary Goldthorp Steele, aged 18 months, in 
Hilldale Cemetery, the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, offi- 
ciating. 

June 19, 1874: 

Mary Jane Ewens, wife of Tom Thomas Ewens, 
aged 34 years. Died at her residence, No. 1 Pastor 
street, after a long illness, which she bore with Chris- 
tian fortitude; buried in Bellevue Cemetery, Alle- 
gheny. 


232 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


July 24, 1874: 

Mrs. Addington, mother of Mrs. Charles 
Goehring, aged 79 years, died at the residence of her 
daughter, Grandview avenue, near Stanwix street, 
buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, officiating. : 


October 4, 1874: 
Julian George Bond, eldest son of William L. and 
Annie M. Bond, aged 8 years and 6 months; in Alle- 
gheny Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


June 13, 1876: 

John Bindley McMillin, eldest son of John S. and 
Mary B. McMillin, aged 3 years, died at the family 
residence Grandview avenue and Bigham street, 
buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


September 16, 1877: 
Zebina McMillin, eldest daughter of John S. and 
Mary B. McMillin, aged 7 years; in Allegheny Ceme- 

tery, the rector officiating. 


October 4, 1877: 

John Pare, born in England, died at his residence, 
Garden street, Mount Washington, after a long ill- 
ness, borne with great patience and submission, 
and buried in Union Cemetery, Allegheny, after serv- 
ice in Grace Church, the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, 
officiating. 

February 7, 1878: 

Mrs. Lindsley, aged 65 years, died at her 
residence, Gray’s Road, Mount Washington, and buried 
in Mount Lebanon Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


February 10, 1878: 
Mr. Alker, an Englishman, aged 76 years, 
died at his residence, Norton street, and buried in the 
South Side Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


January 2, 1879: 

Mrs. Mary Lowen, wife of George Lowen, born in 
England, died at her residence, Union Township, Alle- 
gheny County, aged 70 years, and buried in Chartiers 
cemtery, Mansfield Valley, the Rev. R. J. Coster offi- 
ciating. Raised a large family, was a devoted mother 
and a faithful, conscientious woman. 

‘‘The memory of the just is blessed.”’ 











A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 233 


January 11, 1879: 

Mrs. Sarah Reese, widow of the late David Reese 
and mother of Mrs. Mary E. Torrence, widow of 
Robert, died at the residence of Mrs. Torrence, Mount 
Washington, aged 87 years, and buried in Concord 
Cemetery, the rector officiating. 

April 12, 1879: 

Mrs. Maria Adams, widow of William, born in 
England, came to America in early womanhood, 
settled in Pittsburgh, married and lived on Mount 
Washington, Virginia street, and was for nearly thirty 
years a regular attendant on the services at Grace 
Church; died at the Home for Aged Women at the 
age of 78, and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the 
Rev. R. J. Coster and the Rev. J. P. Norman offi- 
ciating. In her will, of which she made Henry J. 
Lynch, of Pittsburgh, the executor, she left to Grace 
Church a legacy of fifty dollars ($50), which sum was 
set apart by the rector and vestry as the beginning 
of an endowment fund for Grace Church, called, in 
her memory, ‘‘The Maria Adams Endowment Fund.” 
By this gift her name will be remembered and other 
devout souls be prompted to similar action. ‘Though 
dead she yet speaketh.” 

January 20, 1880: 

Miss Margaret Goehring, eldest daughter of Charles 
and Eliza A. Goehring, after a long and painful ill- 
ness, died at the residence of her parents, on Grand- 
view avenue near Stanwix street, in the thirty-fifth 
year of her age, and was buried in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. She 
had a gentle spirit, and was a devout, faithful woman. 
She bore her great suffering with remarkable pa- 
tience and died in full assurance of faith that God 
would give her peace and rest. 


February 6 and 22, 1880: 
Ralph Revelvy, on the 6th inst, aged 4 years and 
6 months, Grace Revelvy, on the 22d inst, aged 7 years, 
children of Paul and Mary Revelvy, in Hilldale Ceme- 
tery, Allegheny, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiat- 
ing. 
July 14, 1880: 
John Willam Jackson, died at his residence, Southern 
avenue, aged 55 years; buried in Mount Lebanon Ceme- 
tery, the Rev. Robert J. Coster, rector, officiating. 


234 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


December 27, 1881: 

Timothy Seifert, aged 30 years, in Hilldale Ceme- 

tery, the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, officiating. 
July 9, 1882: 

Dr. David Palmer, died at the residence of his 
mother, aged 35 years. The rector officiated at the 
house and the remains were taken to Windsor, Ver- 
mont, for interment in the family burying ground. 

December 24, 1882: 

Chester Reed, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel 
G. Reed, aged 17 months; service at the parents’ 
residence by the rector, and the remains takeg to 
Brownsville for interment, where the Rev. Mr. Day 
officiated. 

January 7, 1883: 

Mary Amelia Bindley, infant daughter of John and 
Emeline Bindley, aged 10 months, in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery, the rector officiating. 

March 22, 1883: 

Sarah Lowen Goldthorp, wife of Samuel H. Gold- 
thorp and daughter of George Lowen, died at the 
family residence, Wyoming street, near Sycamore, 
aged 53 years, and buried in Chartiers Cemtery, 
Mansfield Valley, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, offi- 
ciating. A noble and devout woman, a tender and 
devoted wife and mother, and an earnest church 
worker, adorning every sphere in which she moved 
with a consistent, gentle and beautiful Christian life. 

September 11, 1883: 

Mrs. Ruth Reed, wife of Samuel G. Reed, aged 33 
years. Services at her home by the Rev. R. J. Cos- 
ter, rector, and the remains taken to Brownsville 
and interred in the family burying ground. 

January 26, 1884: 

Mrs. Jemima Alker, widow, aged 80 years, died at 
her residence, Norton street, Mount Washington; 
buried in South Side Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, officiating. 

February 7, 1884: 

Mrs. Jane Bratt, wife of Squire Edward Bratt, died 
at her home, Wyoming street, near Virginia avenue, 
aged 77 years; buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. She was a regular at- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 235 


tendant of the service of Grace Church for nearly 
twenty years, a communicant and a faithful worker 
in her Master’s service. She departed in peace, look- 
ing for the rest that await the people of God. 


March 21, 1884: 

Mrs. Sarah E. Minsinger, wife of William Minsinger, 
daughter of Charles and Margaret Ream, Mount 
Washington, aged 30 years; in Allegheny Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating. 


May 19, 1884: 

Mrs. Reed, daughter of George Lowen, from the 
residence of her brother, Seth Lowen, Virginia street; 
in Chartiers Cemetery, Mansfield Valley, the Rev. R. 
J. Coster officiating. 


November 11, 1884: 

Thomas J. Bigham, a vestryman and one of the 
founders of Grace Church, died at his residence, 
Woodlawn, Mount Washington. Funeral service held 
in Trinity Church, Sixth avenue, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Cortlandt White- 
head, Bishop of Pittsburgh, officiating. Buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery. He was senior warden of the 
parish for many years, acted as lay reader and super- 
intendent of the Sunday School, and from the or- 
ganization of the parish in 1852 was one of its chief 
supporters. He was a devout, patient man, simple 
in his tastes, strong in his convictions and firm in his 
belief of the truths of the Gospel. He finished his 
course in faith and now rests in hope. 


February 14, 1885: 

George T. Lowen, born in England, died at the resi- 
dence of his daughter, Mrs. Price, in Union township, 
Allegheny County, at the age of 76 years; buried in 
Chartiers Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster officiat- 
ing. He was one of the members of the first 
vestry of Grace Church and active in its affairs 
while he lived on Mount Washington; but after 
he moved to his farm beyond Saw Mill Run he seldom 
got to church, although he maintained his interest in 
the parish to the last. He was an upright, reliable 
man, and left a large family of married sons and 
daughters to revere his memory and imitate his in- 
tegrity. 


236 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


November 1, 1885: 

Edward Bratt, Sr. , born in England, an iron wonken 
came to America and finally fixed his home on Mount 
Washington and became a member of Grace Church; 
died at his residence, Wyoming street, near Virginia 
avenue, aged 80 years. Funeral service in the church, 
at 2 o’clock P. M., on All Saints Day, and buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, 
officiating. He was for many years a vestryman and 
treasurer of Grace Church; he was a devout and regu- 
lar attendent on public worship, faithful in all the 
relations of life, and highly respected for his integ- 
rity. 

January 19 and 27, 1886: 

Richard Robinson, on January 19, aged 19 years, 
and Joseph Robinson, on the 27th, aged 10 years; 
brothers, sons of William and Margaret Robinson; in 
Mount Lebanon Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster 
officiating, 


January 31, 1886: 

Emeline Bindley, wife of John Bindley, a vestry- 
man of Grace Church, in her thirty-third year; from 
her residence, Boggs avenue, Mount Washington, laid 
to rest in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, officiating. 


February 15, 1886: 

Mary Goldthorp Steele, widow of Thomas Steele 
and daughter of Samuel H. and Sarah L. Goldthorp, 
aged 38 years; in Chartiers Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster, rector, officiating. A faithful and devout 
Christian woman. 


March 1, 1887: 

Mary V. Lowe, infant daughter of John J. and 
Elizabeth C. Lowe, of Plymouth and Sycamore 
streets, Duquesne Heights, aged 16 months; in 
Bellevue Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, 
officiating. 


March 25, 1887: 

Sarah Isabell Reese, wife of William A. Reese and 
daughter of William L. and Annie M. Bond, of Vir- 
ginia street, aged 24 years; in Allegheny Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating. Buried from her 
home, in Etna borough. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 237 


April 13, 1887: 

George Marland, brother of Alfred Marland, aged 
35 years; from his home, on Duquesne Heights, in 
Mount Lebanon Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster 
officiating. 

June 19, 1887: 

Elizabeth F. Howe, wife of William Howe, of 247 
Virginia avenue, aged 76 years; in South Side Ceme- 
tery, the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating. 


August 26, 1887: 

Samuel H. Goldthorp, of Wyoming street, aged 63 
years; in Chartiers Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
tector, officiating. Several years he was vestryman 
of Grace Church. 


August 27, 1887: 

Hannah Irene Weygand, wife of Charles William 
Weygand and daughter of James and Mary A. Robin- 
son, aged 29 years; in Chartiers Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster officiating. A fair young life, full of 
happiness in her married life, which ended with the 
birth of her first child. God doeth all things well. 


September 11, 1887: 

Elmer Davis, daughter of Michael and Agnes Davis, 
aged 3 years; in South Side Cemetery, the rector 
officiating. 

July 29, 1888: 

Arthur Phillips, stepson of H. R. Heppinstal, aged 
16 years; in South Side Cemetery, the rector offi- 
ciating. Drowned on July 26, while bathing in the 
Monongahela River. 


October 16, 1888: 

Maria Louise Bigham, widow of the late Thomas J. 
Bigham, aged 70 years, died at Hill Home, Mount 
Washington, her late residence. Funeral service in 
Grace Church, attended by a large congregation of 
those among whom she so long lived and worked as 
a Sunday School teacher and a church member; 
buried in Allegheny Cemetery beside her husband, the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, her rector, officiating. She was 
the chief promoter of and contributor to the organi- 
zation of Grace Church, and for forty years lived 
among its people and shared their struggles in main- 
taining public worship and religious instruction for 


238 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


the young. A noble, Christian woman, of great 
dignity of manner, of great strength of character, of 
high refinement and culture, of strong faith and deep 
piety. She died in faith in her Lord, and now, life’s 
sorrows and disappointments over, she sleeps in 
peace. ‘‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” 


October 23, 1888: 

Thomas Jackson, born in England, raised in the 
Church, came to this country and settled in Pitts- 
burgh 60 years ago; became an active member of St. 
Andrew’s Church, moved to Mount Washington, 
and for a number of years assisted in the Sunday 
School of Grace Church. Died at his residence, Pros- 
pect street, near public schoolhouse, in the eighty- 
first year of his age; buried in Allegheny Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, eS 

February 3, 1889: 

Edith N. Ferguson, daughter of David B. and 
Katharine Ferguson and granddaughter of Charles 
and Margaret Ream, died at her mother’s residence, 
corner Woodville avenue and Merrimac street, aged 
3l years. Funeral service in Grace Church, attended 
by a large congregation of her friends; buried in Alle- 
gheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, her pastor, 
officiating. 

An artist of great promise, a lady of fine literary 
taste, a devout communicant, and a woman of gener- 
ous, sympathetic nature, whose rare qualities of mind 
and heart won for her a large circle of devoted friends. 

April 16, 1890: 

Evangeline Hardy, daughter of Charles C. and 
Cornelia E. Hardy, of Joel’s Lane and Sycamore 
street, aged 5 years; in Uniondale Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster officiating. 

July 17, 1890: 

Sena Shaler, wife of John C. Shaler, Sr., and mother 
of John C. Shaler, Jr., died at her residence, Du- 
quesne Heights, aged 66 years; buried in Allegheny 
Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. 
A retiring, gentle woman and a devoted wife and 
mother. 

November 6, 1890: 

Helen Jones, wife of Thomas Jones, born in Eng- 

land, died at her home, Natchez and Cuthbert streets, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 2389 


aged 35 years, and buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the 
rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, officiating. 


December 2, 1890: 

Emily McMillin, third daughter of John S. and 
Mary B. McMillin, died Sunday, November 30, aged 
19 years, and buried in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. A devout communi- 
cant, a gentle, lovable woman, full of faith in her Lord 
and of the hope of immortality. 


December 11, 1890: 

Henry Yates Robinson, son of James and Mary A. 
Robinson and grandson of George T. Lowen, died at 
the home of his parents, on Oneida street, aged 18 
years, and buried in Chartiers Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. 


February 15, 1891: 
William M. Hughes, died at his residence, Wyoming 
street, aged 55 years; buried in South Side Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. 


February 26, 1891: 

John Conway Shaler, Sr., son of the late Judge 
Charles Shaler, died at his residence, Sweetbrier 
street, Duquesne Heights, aged 75 years, and buried 
in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, 
officiating. 

‘March 31, 1891: 

George Albert Gould, infant son of Edward and 
Silence Gould, Wyoming near Sycamore street, aged 
2 months;in South Side Cemetery, the rector officiat- 
ing. 

June 28, 1891: 

Neville Sydney Miller, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. 
N.S. Miller, aged 9 months; in South Side Cemetery, 
the Rev. C. A. Bragdon officiating for the rector. 


July 18, 1891: 

Lawrence Smith Humbert, only child of Charles and 
Josephine Humbert, aged 10 years. Service at the 
parents’ residence, corner of Grandview avenue and 
Bertha street, by the Rev. R. J. Coster, assisted by 
the Rev. Mr. Farran. Interment in the Summit 
Cemetery, near Cresson, Pa. 


240 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


November 15, 1891: 

Samuel Sparks Welty, son of Frederick K. and 
Martha L. Welty, died at the home of his parents, 
Grandview avenue and Shiloh street, aged 7 years. 
Service at the house by the Rev. R. J. Coster, and in- 
terment in St. Paul’s Cemetery, near Pleasant Unity, 
Westmoreland County, Pa. 


November 29, 1891: 

Eliza Augusta Stout, second daughter of Melville 
L. and Mary J. Stout, and granddaughter of the late 
Thomas J. and Maria L. Bigham, aged 3 years and 2 
months; in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, officiating. 


January 17, 1892: 
Mary Stout, third daughter of Melville L. and Mary 
J. Stout, aged 15 months: in Allegheny Cemetery, the 
Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. 


February 13, 1892: 

Joel Lewis Bigham, eldest son of the late Thomas 
J. and Maria L. Bigham, aged 45 years, died January 
20, 1892, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, B. A. His remains 
were brought to Pittsburgh and interred in the Alle- 
gheny Cemetery beside his father and mother. 


June 18, 1892: 

Isabella Golding, only daughter of the late Thomas 
H. and Sarah M. Golding, died at a sanatarium near 
Harrisburg, Pa. Remains brought to Pittsburgh and 
interred in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster 
officiating. She was a great sufferer for several years 
with rheumatism, which rendered her incapable of 
walking. She bore her great and trying affliction 
with fortitude and resignation, awaiting in patience 
her final release. 


June 20, 1892: 

William Minsinger, aged 45 years. Service in Grace 
Church, in the presence of severalsocieties of which 
deceased was a member, the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, 
officiating. Interment in Allegheny Cemetery. 


September 23, 1892: 
Margaret Armiger, aged 53 years, wife of James B. 
Armiger; residence, corner Sycamore and Stanwix 
streets. Service in Grace Church and interment in 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 241 


Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating. 
A devout Christian woman, who departed in peace, 
full of resignation and hope. 

October 12, 1892: 

Sarah Davis Bigham, wife of the late Joel L. Big- 
ham, aged 40 years;in Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster officiating. 

November 3, 1892: 

Mrs. Elizabeth A. Smithson, aged 60 years. Service 
in Grace Church and interment in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery. A great sufferer in her illness, but patient and 
submissive to the Divine Will. Her last communion 
with the rector and her daughter Edith, Saturday, 
October 29. Departed in peace, in faith and hope. 

November 22, 1892: 

Elizabeth Church Singleton, aged 90 years, died 
at the residence of her son-in-law, Louis H. Purkey, 
Plymouth street, Duquesne Heights, and interred in 
Uniondale Cemetery. 

December 21, 1892: 

Robert Gardner, infant son of Robert and Elizabeth 
Jackson Gardner, Simms street, near Southern 
avenue, aged 11 months; in Homewood Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. 

December 29, 1892: 

William Dexter Sadler, father of Dr. O. W. Sadler, 
aged 75 years; died at his son’s residence, Grand- 
view avenue and Bigham street, Service at the house 
on above date, and the remains taken to Millburn, 
Lake County, Ill., for interment in the family burying 
ground. 

January 8, 1893: 

Alexander Murray, son of Antony S. and the late 
Mary Nimick Murray, aged 17 vears, died at the 
Episcopal Academy, Alexandria, Va., on January 6. 
His remains brought to Pittsburgh and interred in 
the Allegheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J. Coster offi- 
ciating. A noble, generous boy, pure and true, whose 
youth gave promise of a virtuous manhood, So 
gentle and winning was he that all who knew him 
loved him. He was the most intimate companion 
of the rector’s son Charles, whose first great sorrow 
was the death of his young friend. 


242 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


January 11, 1893: 

George Marland, father of Mr. Alfred Marland, of 
Southern avenue, aged 77 years; born at Ashton- 
under-Lyne, England, came a few years ago to Pitts- 
burgh, and died at his son’s residence. Service at the 
house and interment in Mount Lebanon Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster officiating. 


March 14, 1893: 

John Smith McMillin, aged 76 years. Service at the 
late residence of the deceased, Grandview avenue and 
Bigham street, and interment in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery, the Rev. R. J. Coster, his pastor and friend for 
twenty-five years, officiating. A strong character, 
noted for his simplicity and integrity. (See obituary.) 

April 2, 1893: 

Mrs. Jemima Crawford, aged 76 years, Service at 
the residence of her son-in-law, Edwin Wills, No. 3 
Edith street, and interment in South Side Cemetery, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, rector, officiating. Came from 
Toronto, Canada, with her son-in-law. 


June 5, 1893: 

Margaret Reed, eldest daughter of Samuel G. 
Reed, aged 18 years, died at her father’s home, Boggs 
avenue. Funeral service at 8 P. M. on the 4th inst., 
and interment on Tuesday, 6th, in the cemetery at 
Brownsville, Pa., the family burial place. A gentle, 
pure spirit; she now sleeps in peace. 


November 20, 1893: 

James Bennett Boggs, aged 39 years, son of the 
late Samuel Boggs, of Boggs avenue, Thirty-second 
Ward; went in 1884 to Denver, Colorado, for the bene- 
fit of his health, then to Salt Lake City, Utah, where 
he made his home for the last few years; returned to 
Pittsburgh in July this year in bad health; continued 
to grow worse and died November 18, 1893, at the 
residence of his brother-in-law, Edwin H. Dermitt, 
Stanton avenue, near Negley. Service at the house 
at 2:30 P. M., by the Rev. R. J. Coster, assisted by 
the Rev. George Hodges, rector of Calvary Church; 
buried in Allegheny Cemetery at 4 P. M., the large 
number of his relations and friends present indicating 
how highly he was esteemed for his noble traits of 
character. A great sufferer, but ‘‘He giveth his 
beloved sleep.”’ 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 243 


April 12, 1894: 

Annie Murray McElroy, daughter of the late James 
G. Murray, of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pa., 
and wife of Robert N. McElroy, of Pittsburgh; died 
at her home, Lake and Turrett streets, Pittsburgh, 
Monday, April 9, and buried in the Presbyterian 
Cemetery near Bridgeville, Pa., at 4 P. M., on above 
date. A generous, self-denying soul, pure and true. 


May 27, 1894: 

Bertha Matilda Hambleton, wife of E. W. Ham- 
bleton, of Pittsburgh, and sisterofM. L. Stout, died 
at her home, Belonda street, Friday, the 25th, and 
buried this day, the 27th, in South Side Cemetery. 
Aged 39 years. 


October 7, 1894: 

Edwin Wills, died at his home on Plymouth street, 
Duquesne Heights; buried in South Side Cemetery. 
Aged about 50 years. A carpenter by trade, and 
late from Buffalo, N. Y. 


March 28, 1895: 

Mrs. Sarah Shaw Boggs, daughter of the late Ben- 
jamin Bennett, and widow of the late Samuel S. 
Boggs, of Boggs avenue, Pittsburgh; born March 11, 
1826, in Bellefonte, Pa.; married Samuel S. Boggs, 
October 23, 1869; died March 20,1895, in the seventieth 
year of her age, after an illness of two years, which 
she bore with great patience. Funeral service at her 
late residence, Boggs avenue, Saturday, 2 P. M., 
above date; interred in Meadville, Sunday, March 24. 
A noble woman, generous and faithful. 


April 8, 1895: 

Adeline Matilda Whittier, daughter of John and 
Mellicent Stone Washburn, born September 16, 
1812, at Lempster, New Hampshire; married Isaac 
Whittier, of the same place, November 1, 1836; came 
to Pittsburgh the same year, where she spent the rest 
of her life; died April 6, 1895, 5 P. M., in the eighty- 
third year of her age, at the residence of her widowed 
daughter, Mrs. Samuel Harper, Grandview avenue and 
Bertha street, Mount Washington, where she had re- 
sided for nearly forty years. Formerly a member of 
St. Andrew’s Church, Pittsburgh, but for the last ten 
or more years a regular communicant of Grace Church, 


244  #A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Mount Washington. Funeral service at Grace Church, 
at 2 P. M., in which the rector was assisted by the 
Rev. J. C. White, D. D., rector of St. Andrew’s 
Church. Interredin Allegheny Cemetery. A devout 
and faithful Christian woman. 

April 30, 1895: 

Elizabeth H. Harrison, widow of William R. Har- 
rison, of Meadville, and second daughter of Benjamin 
Bennett; born in Bellefonte, Pa., August 28, 1823; 
married in 1841; died at the residence of her sister, 
the late Sarah Shaw Boggs, Boggs avenue, Pitts- 
burgh, Sunday April 28, 1895, in the seventy-second 
year of her age. Funeral service at the house by 
the rector, Tuesday, April 30, at 8 P. M.; interment 
at Meadville, Wednesday, May 1, the Rev. Messrs. 
Byllesby and Kirkus officiating. 

June 29, 1895: 

Mrs. Margaret Jane Woods, wife of Robert A. 
Woods, born in Ireland; came to Pittsburgh in 1892, 
and lived on Plymouth street, Duquesne Heights; 
died of typhoid fever at the Homeopathic Hospital 
on June 28th, in the thirty-seventh year of her age. 
Buried in the South Side Cemetery on the 29th, the 
rector officiating at the house and at the grave. 
A faithful wife and mother. 

July 17, 1895: 

Mrs. Elizabeth Goehring, widow of the late Charles 
Goehring, of Pittsburgh, mee Adlington, born in New 
Orleans, La.; came to Pittsburgh when three years 
old, where the rest of her life was spent. She was 
raised a Lutheran, but in 1873 she and three of her 
daughters were confirmed in Grace Church by Bishop 
Kerfoot, and became regular communicants. She 
was living at that time on Grandview avenue near 
Stanwix street. She died at the residence of her 
daughter, Mrs. Cyrus M. Robinson, on Bailey avenue, 
on Tuesday, July 16, inthe seventy-seventh year of her 
age. Funeral service at 8 P. M., the 17th, the rector, 
Rev. R. J. Coster, officiating, assisted by the Rev. Mr. 
Jennings, a Presbyterian clergyman, and long an inti- 
mate friend of the family. The body was cremated 
by direction of the deceased, and the ashes buried 
in Allegheny Cemetery beside the remains of her 
late husband. She was a patient, devout woman, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 245 


who endured many reverses and privations. May 
she rest in peace. 
July 31, 1895: 

George E. Reed, son of Samuel G. Reed and the 
late Ruth Reed; died of consumption on Monday, 
July 29th, at the home of his father, Boggs avenue, 
in the twentieth year of hisage. Buriedin the Browns- 
ville Cemetery, Fayette County, Pa., Wednesday, 
July 31, the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, officiating 
both at the house and at the cemetery, Brownsville, 
a number of the deceased’s Sunday School friends 
acting as pall-bearers. 

October 10, 1895: 

Margaret Torrence Burrell, wife of Henry M. Bur- 
rell and daughter of Mrs. Mary E. Torrence, of Stan- 
wix street, died at her home, Sycamore street, near 
Shiloh, Thirty-second Ward, on Tuesday, October 
8th, in the thirty-fifth year of her age; buried in Con- 
cord Cemetery, October 10th, the Rev. R. J. Coster offi- 
ciating at the house and at the grave. During the 
service at the house, Herman Heisler, a member of 
Grace Church choir, sang the Hymns “ Jesus, lover of 
my soul,’”’ and ‘‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me.” 

July 7, 1896: 

Mrs. Matilda C. Verner, wee McClurg, wife of the 
late Melchior Verner, of Carson and Thirty-third 
streets,South Side. She was born at the McClurg home- 
stead, Whitehall, Allegheny County; was married by 
the Rev. Dr. Killikelly, in Grace Church, Mount Wash- 
ington, April 14, 1867, and died at her late residence, 
on South Side, Pittsburgh, on Sunday, July 5, 1896, 
and buried in a mausoleum at Whitehall, Tuesday, 
July 7th, beside the remains of her late husband. 
She was a devout communicant of St. Peter’s Church 
and an exemplary Christian woman. 

July 28, 1896: 

Oliver H. Stinson, Jr., only child of Robert and 
Mary Stinson, and nephew of Oliver H. Stinson, Sr., 
of Bailey avenue, died from the effects of a fall from 
atricycle, in his seventh year, and was buried in Union- 
dale Cemetery. 

August 7, 1896: 

William Phillips, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Phillips, 

of McClurg avenue, Allegheny, Pa., an invalid for 


246 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


fifteen years; died in Philadelphia, Tuesday, August 
4th,in the forty-third year of his age,and buried August 
7thin the Uniondale Cemetery, in the family lot, the 
Rev. R. J. Coster officiating at the house and at the 
grave. 
October 4, 1896: 

Henry Denny Utting, an Englishman by birth and 
a stonecutter by occupation, died October 2, at his 
home, on Sweetbrier street, Duquesne Heights, in the 
thirty-first year of his age; buried Sunday, October 
4, in South Side Cemetery, leaving only a wife. 


November 15, 1896: 

David Lewis, an Englishman, died at his home, 
Sweetbrier and Sycamore streets, of pneumonia, 
Friday, November 13th, in the forty-second year of 
his age, leaving a wife and 7 children; buriedin South 
Side Cemetery November 15th, his fellow-workmen 
acting as pall-bearers. 


November 21, 1896: 

James M. Christy, born in Pittsburgh in 1818, died 
at 1613 Locust street, Pittsburgh, on Thursday, 
November 19th, and buried Saturday, the 21st, in 
Allegheny Cemetery, aged 78 years, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster officiating. A devout churchman, a member 
of St. Peter’s congregation. 


December 1, 1896: 
Edith Groves, daughter of Samuel and Maria 
Groves, of Duquesne Heights; buried in South Side 
Cemetery; aged three years. 


December 25, 1896: 

William Marks Speer. He and his family became 
members of Grace Church parish in 1872 and resided 
on Wyoming street, in the parish, until April 1, 1892, 
when he moved to Ben Venue Place, East End, 
where he died Wednesday, December 23d, aged 60 
years, and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery Decem- 
ber 25, Christmas Day, at 2 P. M. Service at the 
house and at the grave by the Rev. R. J. Coster. 


January 24, 1897: 
John Conway Shaler, son of John C. and Sena 
Shaler and grandson of the late Judge Charles Shaler, 
of Pittsburgh, born on Duquesne Heights, October 13, 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 247 


1843; was baptized and confirmed in Grace Church; 
an active parish worker all his life, as Sunday School 
teacher and Sunday School superintendent, as vestry- 
man and warden; died Friday, January 22, 1897. 
Funeral service in Grace Church Sunday, January 
24th, at 2 P. M., conducted by the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
rector, assisted by the Rev. A. D. Brown; buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery, the following persons acting as 
pall-bearers: Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., Oliver H. 
Stinson, George A. Johnson and Harry W. Neely, 
vestrymen of Grace Church, and A. P. Linhart and 
William Reitz. An intensely cold day, the snow 
covering everything. The deceased was a noble, 
pure, devout servant of God, faithful and untiring 
in his work for his Master. ‘‘Though dead, he yet 
speaketh.”’—Dormiat bene. (See biographical sketch, 
page 269.) 


February 14, 1897: 

Sidney Penton Groves, infant son of Samuel and 
Maria Groves, of Oneida street, Duquesne Heights, 
aged 14 months and 17 days; buried in South Side 
Cemetery. 


February 20, 1897: 

Rev. Samuel Maxwell, D. D., formerly rector of 
Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, late of the Diocese of 
Long Island; buried in Allegheny Cemetery, Pitts- 
burgh, the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating at the 
interment. Dr. Maxwell was an earnest, successful 
parish priest, doing a noble work for his Master in 
the thirty years of his ministry. 


Augut 11, 1897: 
Margaret Elizabeth Schornagel, aged 19 years and 
6 months; buried in South Side Cemetery, the Rev. 
W. L. H. Benton, assistant minister of Trinity 
Church, officiating. 


October 3, 1897: 

Mrs. Mary Thompson, daughter of the late Squire 
Edward Bratt, of Pittsburgh, long an invalid and 
for several years confined to the house and tenderly 
cared for by her daughter Agnes and her sister, Mrs. 
John C. Shaler, died at her home, the Bratt residence, 
Wyoming street, Friday, October 1, and buried in 


248 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Allegheny Cemetery Sunday, October 3, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating at the house and at the 
grave. 

November 10, 1897: 

George Frank Slocum; infant son of George F. and ~ 
Ardella A. Slocum; buried in Allegheny Cemetery; 
aged 8 months. 

January 7, 1898: 

George Walford Lowen, son of John Lowen, of West 
Liberty borough, Allegheny County, Pa.; born on 
Second avenue, Pittsburgh, August 11, 1861; bap- 
tized by the Rev. Dr.Van Dusen, in St. Peter’s Church; 
died at his father’s residence January 5 and buried 
in Chartiers Cemetery January 7, at 4 P. M. 

March 26, 1898: 

B. Harry Rubie, born in Ireland in 1840; came to 
Pittsburgh in 1854; died at his home, 407 Liberty 
avenue, Wednesday, March 23, and buried Saturday, 
March 26,in the fifty-eighth yearof hisage. A large 
number of his friends present at the funeral, chiefly 
middle-aged men. Mr. Paul Hackie and Miss Annie 
Smith, with whom he had lived for more than thirty 
years, were the chief mourners. He was the last of 
his family; a noble, generous man, much loved for his 
honesty and sincerity. 

November 14, 1898: 

Mrs. Maria Lowen Halpin, wife of William Halpin, 
of Mount Washington and daughter of George T. 
Lowen, born in England;came to Pittsburgh and 
married William Halpin and lived on Virginia ave- 
nue, Mount Washington, most of her life; was long a 
communicant and active worker in Grace Church; 
died at her home, Virginia avenue, Saturday, No- 
vember 12, and buried in Uniondale Cemetery, 
Allegheny, Pa., on Monday, November 14, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating. A loveable, peaceful 
woman, faithful as wife and mother, and exemplary 
in all her conduct. 

January 17, 1899: 

Thomas Francis Ashford, Sr., son of Thomas F. 
and Georgiana Roberts Ashford, born in London, 
December 14, 1840; came to the United States in 
1865; married in Pittsburgh and moved to Mount 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 249 


Washington in 1883; became a vestryman of Grace 
Church at Easter, 1889, and continued to serve the 
parish in that capacity until his death. Died of pneu- 
monia Sunday, January 15, at his home on Bailey 
avenue, and was buried in Chartiers Cemetery 
Tuesday, January 17; aged 58 years. Service at 
Grace Church and at the grave, the Rev. R. J. Coster, 
D. D., officiating. He was a generous soul, liberal 
to a fault, and loved by many friends. 


March 21, 1899: 

Mrs. Elizabeth H. Torrence, wife of David R. Tor- 
rence, of Bertha street, died at her home Saturday, 
March 18, after an illness of two weeks, in the fifty-first 
year of her age; buried in Concord Cemetery, South 
Side, Tuesday, the 21st, the rector officiating at the 
house and at the grave. A faithful wife and mother 
and a devout, charitable woman. 


April 9, 1899: 
William Julian Bond, infant son of William L. and 
Ida B. Bond, Jr., buried in Allegheny Cemetery; aged 
8 months. 


July 16, 1899: 

William Howe, born February 4, 1809, in Bristol, 
England, where he was raised and learned the trade 
of coach building; came to America in 1830, and 
married October 2, 1835, in Toronto, Canada, Eliza- 
beth Denny, from the Isle of Heligoland; moved to 
Pittsburgh, Pa., and conducted for some years the 
business of a confectioner on Fifth avenue, where the 
opera house now stands; later moved to Washington, 
Pa., and worked at his trade; returned to Pittsburgh 
in 1877 and made his home on Virginia avenue, 
Mount Washington, where he ended his days. His 
wife died in 1887, at the age of 76, and he died July 5, 
1899, in his ninety-second year; funeral service at the 
home of Robert McMillin, his son-in-law, and inter- 
ment in South Side Cemetery. He came of a vigorous 
English stock, and kept his faculties to the end. He was 
noted for his moderation and his integrity; and he 
died as he lived, full of the hope of immortality, and 
trusting alone in the merits of Christ, his Saviour. 


250 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


July 20, 1899: 
Annie Higginson, infant daughter of James and 
Eliza Higginson; buried in Allegheny Cemetery; aged 
7 weeks. 


August 8, 1899: 

John C. Davitt, son of the late John C. and Mrs. Net- 
tie Davitt, of Bellevue, Pa.; baptized in Grace Church 
by the present rector January 21, 1872, his parents at 
that time residing on Mount Washington and being 
members of Grace Church; died suddenly in Chicago, 
Thursday, August 3d, in his thirty-second year. His 
Temains brought to his mother’s home, in Bellevue, 
Allegheny County, Pa., and interred in the Allegheny 
Cemetery on August 8th, the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., 
officiating. 

September 27, 1899: 

Frank Glaze, son of George A. and Emily Glaze, of 

Bigham street; died of typhoid fever Monday, Sep- 
tember 24, at his father’s residence, aged 17 years and 
3 months; buried Wednesday, September 27, in the 
South Side Cemetery. 


December 21, 1899: 

Mrs. Mary Croner, daughter of Mrs. Alfred Marland 
by her first husband (Smith); moved to Passadena, 
Cal., in 1886; came to Pittsburg to visit her friends 
in July last; died in the Mercy Hospital, Pittsburg, in 
her forty-fifth year, from an operation performed for 
the removal of tumor, and buried from the home of 
her sister, Mrs. John Kinney, Knoxville, South Side, 
the service being held at 8 P. M. on December 21, 
and the interment in the South Side Cemetery on the 
following day, December 22. She was a bright, 
cheerful woman, devoted to her husband and daughter. 


December 28, 1899: 

Mrs. Mary MacDonald, wife of Mathew MacDonald, 
of Oneida street, Duquesne Heights (mee Nelson), 
died December 25 (Christmas Day), at 6:40 P. M., 
aged 53 years, and was buried in Homewood Ceme- 
tery on December 28. She was a member of the 
Bishop Whitehead Guild of Grace Church, an earnest 
worker, and a gentle, Christian woman. 


_— 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 251 


April 13, 1900: 

William Halpin, born in Dublin, Ireland; spent 
most of his life in Pittsburg, where he became a 
successful business man; always an earnest church- 
man; died at his residence, on Virginia avenue, Thirty- 
second Ward, Wednesday, April 11, aged 70 years. 
Service at the house by the rector, and interment in 
Uniondale Cemetery on April 13, at 4P.M. (See 
biographical sketch, page 277.) 

June 2, 1900: 

Mary Ann Neill, wife of Harry Neill, member of St. 
Andrew’s Church; died at her home, in Cherry Alley 
near Liberty Avenue, on Thursday, May 31, in the 
forty-fifth year of her age, and buried June 2 in Alle- 
gheny Cemetery, the Rev. R. J.Coster, D.D.,officiating. 

July 28, 1900: 

Mrs. Emily James Glaize, wife of George Alfred 
Glaize and daughter of Harry James, Sr., died July 
26, at her home, West Elizabeth (to which place the 
family moved from Bigham street, Mount Wash- 
ington, a year ago), aged 40 years; buried in South 
Side Cemetery, the rector, Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., 
officiating. <A faithful and devoted woman. 


September 6, 1900: 

Edith Stevens, infant daughter of Isaiah and Eva 
Stevens, of Duquesne Heights; buried in South Side 
Cemetery; aged 2 months. 

January 12, 1901: 

Harriett Ruth Reed, daughter and last child of 
Samuel G. Reed, of Boggs avenue; died of typhoid 
fever at the Homeopathic Hospital, Wednesday, 
January 9, in the twenty-third year of her age. 
Funeral service at her father’s residence, Boggs ave- 
nue, Friday, January 11, at 8 P. M., and interment in 
the cemetery at Brownsville, Pa., on Saturday, Janu- 
ary 12,in the presence of about twenty friends who 
went up with the remains from Pittsburgh, the Rev. 
R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating both at the house and 
at the cemetery. 

January 20, 1901: 

Louise Kemp, died at her home on Duquesne 
Heights, Wednesday, January 16, in her twenty-first 
year, and buried in Allegheny Cemetery January 20, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating. 


252 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


January 23, 1901: 

fs Julian George Maddox, son of Cartwright and 
Hannah Maddox, born at Deerfield, Ohio; died at 
the residence of William L. Bond, Sr., Virginia ave- 
nue and Oneida street, Monday, January 21, in the 
sixty-ninth year of his age. Service at the house by 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, D.D.; buried in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery, the ceremonies at the grave conducted by the offi- 
cers of the Dallas Lodge of the Masonic Fraternity, of 
which the deceased wasa member. A peaceful, faith- 
ful, honest man. 


July 2, 1901: 

Carless Meahl, infant son of Phillip and Rebecca 
Meahl, died Sunday, June 30, at their home, 404 
Dewey street, Knoxville, Pa., aged 13 months and 
20 days. Interred in the South Side Cemetery, July 2. 


July 27, 1901: 

William L. Kenah, born in Ireland August 11, 1823; 
came to the United States in early manhood, lived 
for a time in Western Maryland, where he married; 
came to Pittsburg, where he spent the last twenty- 
five years of his life, and died at his home, on Big- 
ham street, Thirty-second Ward, July 25, in the 
seventy-eighth year of his age. Buried July 27 in 
Allegheny Cemetery. The rector, in an address at 
the funeral service, said: ‘‘Mr. Kenah was a man 
peaceful in temper, unobtrusive in manner, re- 
tiring in disposition, gentle in act and speech, con- 
scientious in duty, and faithful to every obligation 
as a Christian and a citizen. He has left behind 
him the record of a well-spent, pure, upright 
life. We honor him, therefore, for his worth; and we 
thank God for the graces that, according to His 
mercy, adorned the character of His devout servant. 
Dormia in pace.” 

September 6, 1901: 

Severin John Konstanzer, son of Severin and Kate 
Konstanzer, born May 21, 1886, drowned while bath- 
ing in the Monongahela River, Wednesday, September 
4. Service at the residence of his parents, 10 Oneida 
street, Duquesne Heights, and interment in Alle- 
gheny Cemetery on September 6; aged 15 years 3 
months and 17 days 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 253 


October 4, 1901: 

Clarence Shaler, son of the late Judge Charles Shaler, 
of Pittsburgh, and grandson of Major Kirkpatrick. 
Spent all his life on Mount Washington, where he was 
born; studied law and served as magistrate of his 
ward for many years; lived a reserved and retired life; 
died at his home, 70 Olympia street, October 2, in 
the eighty-second year of his age, and was buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery on October 4, the Rev. R. J. 
Coster, D. D., officiating. 


October 29, 1901: 

John P. Kinney, son of Alexander and Nancy R. 
Kinney, born in Allegheny, Pa., in 1849, and lived 
on Orchard street, Knoxville, Pa.; married Sarah A. 
Smith, daughter of Mrs. Alfred Marland, September 
27, 1877; died in Wadestown, West Virginia, on Sun- 
day, October 27, aged 52 years. His remains were 
brought to Pittsburgh and the funeral service was 
held at his late home, and the interment took place 
October 29 in the Uniondale Cemetery, Allegheny, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., officiating. 


November 10, 1901: 

Mrs. Lida Ann Robinson, wife of Cyrus M. Robin- 
son and daughter of Capt.Charles Goehring; lived with 
her father’s family a number of years on Grandview 
avenue, near Stanwix, and after her marriage on 
Bailey avenue; confirmed December 28, 1873; died 
in Coraopolis, Friday, November 6.. Funeral serv- 
ice at the residence of Henry W. Sellers, Bailey 
avenue, on Tuesday, November 10, and buried in 
Allegheny Cemetery, the rector officiating. 


April 3, 1902: 

Lynn M. Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. John M. 
Thompson, of Virginia avenue, died at his father’s 
home, Tuesday, April 1. Funeral service at the house, 
Wednesday, 8 P. M., and the interment in the 
Brownsville Cemetery, at Brownsville, Pa., on Thurs- 
day, April 3, the rector officiating. A lovely charac- 
ter, gentle and dutiful. 

April 8, 1902: 

Oliver Halpin Stinson, a vestryman and warden 
of Grace Church, run over by a traction car, at the 
foot of Castle Shannon Incline Plane, Saturday, 


254 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


April 5, about 9:30 P. M.; taken to the South Side 
Hospital, where he died at 6 o’clock Sunday morning, 
April 6. Funeral service at his late residence, Bailey 
avenue, Mount Washington, on Tuesday, April 8, 
at 1:30 P. M., and the interment at 4 P. M., in Union- 
dale Cemetery, the rector officiating. A genial, pop- 
ular man, successful in business and much loved by 
a wide circle of friends. (See biographical sketch, 
page 280.) 


June 22, 1902: 

Henry W. Clark, organist and choir master of Grace 
Church since Easter, 1899; born in London, England, 
July 9, 1867; came to Pittsbugh in 1884; died of ty- 
phoid fever, at his home on Stanwix street, June 18, 
aged 35 years. Funeral service in Grace Church Sun- 
day, June 22, at 2 P. M., conducted by the rector, 
the full choir of the church being present and singing 
the Hymns ‘‘Asleep in Jesus” and ‘‘Lead, Kindly 
Light.’’ The Masons acted as pall-bearers and con- 
ducted the ceremonies at the grave. Interment in 
Uniondale Cemetery. A Christian gentleman, true 
and noble. 


June 25, 1902: 

Augusta Eliza Bigham, second daughter of the 
late Thomas J. and Maria L. Bigham, of Hill Home, 
Woodville avenue; born January 31, 1857; spent 
her life at her ancestral home, on Mount Washington. 
A devout communicant and efficient Sunday School 
teacher until physicai infirmity compelled her to re- 
linquish the work; a clever, quick-witted, sympathetic, 
Christian woman; loved by children, whom her: 
command of clear, forcible language and her strong, 
accurate memory enabled her always to entertain. 
Died at her home June 23, in the forty-fifth year of 
her age, and buried in Allegheny Cemetery. Eight 
young men, members of her last Sunday School class, 
in accordance with her request, bore her remains to 
their final resting place. 

July 17, 1902. 

Philip Flinn Ashford, infant son of Thomas F., Jr., 
and Harriett J.Ashford; buried in Chartiers Cemetery; 
aged two months. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 255 


October 1, 1902: 
Arthur Bertram Martin, infant son of Harry and 
Amy Martin, of Mount Washington; buried in the 
South Side Cemetery. 


December 21, 1902: 

Annie Maria Bond, wife of William L. Bond, Sr., 
of Virginia avenue and Oneida street, Duquesne 
Heights; born September 1, 1837, died December 
18, 1902, aged 65 years. Her whole life was passed 
in the limits of Grace Church parish, of which she 
was a member from the time of its organization in 
1851. She was many years teacher in the parish Sun- 
day School and later in the Mission School, on Du- 
quesne Heights, where she continued to teach until 
deafness and failing sight obliged her to give up. 
She was long an active worker in the Mite Society, 
and later for several years a member and also secre- 
tary of the Bishop Whitehead Guild of Duquesne 
Heights, an auxiliary society of Grace Church parish. 
The last six months of her life she passed in total 
blindness and great physical weakness, suffering at 
times intense pain; but under it all she was patient 
and resigned, expressing the greatest confidence in 
God’s mercy and goodness. She was a devout com- 
municant, a faithful wife and mother, a consistent 
Christian woman—truly a mother in Israel. The 
funeral service was held in Grace Church, and her 
remains buried in Allegheny Cemetery. 

January 5, 1903: 

Mary Bruce Zehfuss, daughter of Phillip and Louisa 
Zehfuss; born Decémber 6, 1894, died January 3, 
1903, at the residence of her parents, Kearsage street, 
near Sycamore, aged 8 years, and buried in South Side 
Cemetery. 

March 18, 1903: 

Charles Howard Durham, infant son of Charles H. 
and Edith S. Durham; born July 3, 1902, died sud- 
denly March 17, aged 8 months and 12 days. Funeral 
service by the rector, at the residence of his parents, 
Plymouth street, Duquesne Heights, and the re- 
mains interred on the 19th at Rangoes, N. J. 

June 25, 1903: 

Albert Clarence Martin, son of Albert Martin; 
drowned in the Monongahela River and buried in the 
South Side Cemetery. 





256 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


July 19, 1903: 

Emma Bennett, born in Bellefonte, Pa., June 16, 
1832; lived some years in Meadville, then, about 
thirty years ago, she came to Pittsburgh and made her 
home with her sister, Mrs. Sarah Boggs, of Boggs 
avenue, until Mrs. Boggs’ death, in 1895. She con- 
tinued to live in her sister’s late home, which she in- 
herited, where she died Friday, July 17. The 
funeral service was held at her late home Sunday, 
the 19th, the rector officiating, at 5 P. M. The in- 
terment took place in Meadville, Monday, July 21, 
the rector of Christ Church of that city officiating. 
A gentle, faithful woman; a consistent Christian, 
loved and trusted by many friends. 








Mrs. Maria L. BIGHAM. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 257 


MARIA LOUISA BIGHAM, 


Tue CuHieF FouNDER OF GRACE CHURCH, MOUNT 
WASHINGTON. 


Mrs. Maria Louisa Bigham, the daughter of Dr. 
Joel and Mary Ann Lewis, was born in Pittsburgh, 
June 8, 1819. Her father, Dr. Joel Lewis, a promi- 
nent physician, was born in Christiana, Delaware, 
where his ancestors, of Welsh extraction, originally 
settled; moved to Philadelphia, and finally, after 
graduating at the Medical School of that city, settled 
in Pittsburgh and married Mary Ann Kirkpatrick, 
the youngest daughter of Maj. Abraham Kirkpatrick, 
of the United States Army, whose home was on the 
Monongahela River near where is now the corner of 
Water and Short streets. Dr. and Mrs. Lewis were 
members of old Trinity Church, and here the subject 
of this sketch was baptized in infancy, and reared 
under the pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Hopkins. 
She was confirmed in the same church by Bishop 
Onderdonk in 1834. 


She was educated in the schools of the Rev. Dr. 
Lacey and Mr. Twining, two well-known educators of 
that day, and afterwards spent several years in Phila- 
‘delphia in the family of her paternal uncle, William 
D. Lewis, a leading banker of that city, in whose 
home she enjoyed many social and literary advan- 
tages. Returning to Pittsburgh, she was married in 
Trinity Church, by the Rev. George Upfold, D. D., 
December 30, 1846, to Thomas J. Bigham, a young 
attorney at the Pittsburgh bar, just then rising into 
prominence in the politics of his native State. 

Soon after their marriage her husband built a 
handsome brick residence on Mount Washington, 
on his wife’s property, inherited from the estate 
of her grandfather, Major Kirkpatrick. They moved 
up to their new home in 1850, and there, in a beautiful 
spot, surrounded by the primitive forest, they reared 
a family of five children,two sons and three daughters, 


258 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


and passed in peace the rest of their days. Mrs. Big- 
ham had an ardent attachment to her Hill Home. 
She loved the stately trees and the beautiful wild 
flowers which grow in great profusion in the woods, 
and nothing distressed her more than injury to her 
trees or wantcn destruction of the flowers by chance 
passers through the grounds. Soon as she was set- 
tled in her new home she began to form plans for the 
religious benefit of the neighborhood, and it was 
chiefly through the efforts and influence of herself 
and her husband that Grace Church congregation 
was formed and the present church building erected. 
Mrs. Bigham was all her life a very active church- 
worker. She taught in the Sunday School for many 
years; she played the organ and directed the singing 
for a time after the church was built, and always took 
a leading part in the plans adopted for the support 
and improvement of the church. 

Here we may mention a pleasing and somewhat 
unusual incident in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Bigham, 
in which the rector was called upon to take part. 
Sunday, December 30, 1883, was the thirty-seventh 
anniversary of their marriage, and they were desirous 
of publicly marking the day by special thanksgiving; 
so, at morning prayer, immediately after the second 
lesson, the rector having stated that they desired the 
congregation to unite with them in thanksgivings to 
God for His mercies to them during the past thirty- 
seven years of their married life, and in invoking His 
special blessing for their remaining days, Mr. and 
Mrs. Bigham went up and knelt at the chancel rail. 
The Lord’s Prayer was said, followed by the Collects 
for the fourth Sunday after Trinity and the fourth 
Sunday after Easter, a special thanksgiving and other 
selected prayers. The rector then closed with the 
prayer and blessing from the Marriage Office. The 
mind shot quickly back to the time, thirty-seven 
years before, when these same words were first said 
over this man and this woman. Each called up in 
memory the hopes and the fears, the successes and 
the disappointments that had marked these slow 
gliding years, and noted the unmistakable traces 
which they had left upon the now aged couple. In 
place of the bloom and buoyancy of youth with which 
they had stood before the altar of Trinity Church to 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 259 


receive this blessing there were now present all the 
signs of age. The hair was white, the cheeks pale, 
and the step faltering. All felt, however, for these 
reasons, a more tender sympathy for man and wife 
going on thus faithfully together, trusting in Him who 
had safely brought them through all these years, and 
firmly hoping that the God of their fathers would be 
with them to the end; therefore, when that blessing 
was again pronounced, there went up from the hearts 
of all present a most fervent ‘‘Amen!”’ 

This was their last marriage anniversary together. 
About ten months later Mr. Bigham was called to 
rest, and Mrs. Bigham passed her remaining years in 
her Hill Home, where her sorrow and loneliness were 
relieved by the devoted attentions of her son and her 
two daughters. She was still the same cheerful, 
hopeful woman, devoted to her children, loving her 
wood-embowered home, and relying peacefully upon 
the mercy and goodness of God. 

She lived four years after the departure of her hus- 
band, and died Sunday, October 14, 1888, in the seven- 
tieth year of her age. 

Her remains were buried in Allegheny Cemetery 
beside those of her husband. 

Mrs. Bigham was a woman of strong character, 
full of energy and firm of purpose. She inherited 
from her parents a fine physique and the instincts 
and traits of a well-bred lady. She was quiet and 
gentle in speech; had great grace and dignity of man- 
ner, and possessed rare intelligence and a highly 
cultivated mind. 

She was an earnest and devout churchwoman, as 
much from choice and conviction as from inherit- 
ance and education. She was a regular and 
faithful attendant upon public worship, and found 
in the church ministrations comfort and help in all 
times of trial and sorrow. 

“For her we need not mourn. ’Tis we who stand 

In need of pity for our grevious loss. 


We miss the loving heart, the helping hand, 
The faith that gloried in her Savior’s cross. 


“Among the blessed ones she finds her home, 
And converse holds with angels face to face; 
And when they worship ‘neath heaven’s arching dome, 
With native courtesy she takes her place.” 


260 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


In the address made at her funeral the rector 
Saidss Fe 

“Our departed sister had nearly filled out 
her three score years and ten, and retained in 
remarkable vigor up to her last illness all the powers 
of mind and body. Her interest in life and her ac- 
tivity in its duties continued to the last, and when 
stricken down her mind was full of plans for the 
furtherance of schemes of religious and benevolent 
work, in which she always took a deep interest. I 
knew her intimately for twenty years, and during 
these years saw much of her life, and knew much of 
her hopes and wishes. She gave me unreservedly 
her confidence as hor pastor, and her affection as a 
friend; and I found in her family much of the en- 
couragement and help which a pastor so greatly 
needs. I feel, therefore, that not only has our parish 
lost an active, earnest worker, but that I and all of 
us have lost a kind and sympathetic friend. * * * 
She valued very highly her privileges as a member of 
the Church. From her birth she had been accustomed 
to the use of its beautiful liturgy and reverent worship, 
and as years went by she learned to love and value 
these the more and in them to find her greatest 
spiritual help. Her high estimate of membership in 
Christ’s Church was shown in regular attendance upon 
public worship. You know how rarely she was 
absent, how constantly she came to the Holy Com- 
munion, how devout and earnest she was in the serv- 
ice, and how strictly in voice and manner she per- 
formed her part of the worship, acting throughout 
as if she felt that here she was in God’s presence, and 
that her only duty here was to honor His name and 
Word. Reared and nurtured in the Church, she never 
knew any other spiritual guidance but that which 
it supplied, and she found all her needs satisfied in 
its ministrations. She accepted in simple faith the 
great truths of Redemption as presented by the 
Church. Knowing that she was the child of God by 
baptism, and trusting for salvation through the merits 
of Christ, she calmly relied upon God’s promises and 
submitted patiently to His will. As the years went 
by and sorrows and disappointments came to her, 


—— 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 261 


they seemed to soften and deepen the spiritual side 
of her nature and to strengthen her faith in God’s 
promises to His children, * * * 

“T believe that God rewarded her faith with 
a comforting sense of His goodness that does not 
come to us all. She died as she lived, trusting in her 
Savior, and we can therefore lay her to rest with the 
hope that God will have her safe in His blessed 
keeping. 

“Let us, then, Beloved, honor her memory and emu- 
late her example. Let us thank God for her simple 
faith in His Word and her lifelong devotion to His 
service. 

“May alarge measure of her devout spirit fall upon 
us all, and may God raise up here among us many to 
serve Him in like earnestness. * * * ‘Be faithful 
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ ”’ 


262 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


THE MEMBERS OF THE FIRST VESTRY OF 
GRACE CHURCH, 1851. 


Thomas J. Bigham. George T. Lowen. 

A. Kirk Lewis. Andrew Rowland. | 

William Adams. Benjamin White. 
Richard Stubbs. 


The writer succeeded in getting the pictures and 
the data for biographical sketches of only the first 
three. 

Hon. Tuomas JAMES BIGHAM. 


Thomas James Bigham, son of Thomas and Sarah 
Christy Bigham, was born in Westmoreland County, 
February 12, 1810, at the home of his grandfather, 
James Christy. His father having died before he 
was born, and his mother a few months after his 
birth, he was brought up by his grandparents, who 
were Presbyterian Seceders, or Covenanters, of the 
strictest kind. He was educated at Jefferson College, 
Cannonsburg, where he was graduated in 1834. On 
leaving college he entered upon the study of law, and 
became a practitioner in the Allegheny County courts. 

He married Maria Louisa Lewis, daughter of Dr. 
Joel Lewis and Mary Ann Lewis, the youngest daugh- 
ter of Maj, Abraham Kirkpatrick, in Trinity Church, 
December 30, 1846. His wife was born in Pittsburgh, 
June 8, 1819, and was raised in the Episcopal Church, 
her parents being members of Trinity Church. In 
1849, as he says in his sketch of the early history of 
Grace Church, Mr. Bigham moved with his family to 
Mount Washington, and he and his wife at once took 
steps to organize a Sunday School and church for 
the people ofthe vicinity; and this was the begin- 
ning of Grace Church. Mr. Bigham was confirmed 
by Bishop Alonza Potter, in Grace Church, September 
14, 1854, and became and thereafter continued to be 
a regular communicant to the end of his days. 

Mr. Bigham was prominent in the political affairs 
of his State, even more than he was as alawyer. He 
was a member of the State Senate several terms, and 
afterwards held the position of State Statistician, and 
gathered much valuable information concerning the 
industrial interests of Pennsylvania. 





M, 


Tuomas J. Bicua 


Hon. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 263 


He was a member of the first vestry of Grace 
Church, elected at the organization of the parish in 
1851, which position he held continuously (except for 
a short period of absence from the parish) until his 
death. He was for many years the senior warden, 
and frequently acted as lay reader in maintaining the 
services during vacancies in the rectorship of the 
parish. He often represented the parish in the Dio- 
cesan Convention, of which body his legal attain- 
ments made him a valuable member. He died No- 
vember 9, 1884, having reached the ripe age of 74. 
He was buried from Trinity Church November 11, and 
was laid to rest in Allegheny Cemetery. 

Mr. Bigham was one of the most widely known 
citizens of Pittsburgh. For many years he was a 
leader in political matters, and his speeches, his voice, 
and his presence all combined to render him promi- 
nent among the men of his day. 

In the address made at his funeral his pastor and 
friend, Rev. R. J. Coster, spoke as follows: * * * 

““The close of a noble life has brought us together 
here today. An aged servant of God, full of years, has 
gone to his rest, and we are here to honor his memory. 
For many years he has been prominent in the affairs 
of our city and State, and an active worker in the 
Church which he adopted from choice and loved and 
reverenced from conviction. Honored for his in- 
tegrity, respected for his ability, and admired for his 
noble traits of character, he has ended a long and use- 
ful life, and now sleeps in peace. His life record is 
before you. * * * Standing prominent among 
the leading men of our city for so many years, he was 
a man well known amongst us. His public life is a 
part of the history of our city and State. Asa learned 
lawyer and a wise legislator he was better known to 
most of you than he was to me. Justice will be done 
to his memory in these respects by others better fitted 
than I am to speak of his public career. But if you 
will bear with me a few moments I will speak a word 
‘or two of him as the earnest churchman and the 
Christian gentleman. It has been my privilege to 
be intimately associated with him for sixteen years 
as his pastor, and one of the greatest pleasures of my 
ministry has been that of intercourse, in the retire- 


264 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


ment of his home, with a mind and character such as 
he possessed. 

“Always affable and courteous, one could not be 
long with him without feeling the sincerity and noble- 
ness of the man, while his stores of learning and his 
wonderful memory, combined with his simple and 
unpretentious manner, gave a charm to his conver- 
sation that israrely equaled. * * * 

‘“‘As a churchman he was zealous and faithful, giving 
liberally of his means and his time for the interests 
of the Church. His face and his voice were long © 
familiar in our Diocesan Convention, where he took 
an active part in its legislation. Heserved his Church 
for many years as a vestryman and warden, and as 
long as his duties and his health permitted he was a 
regular and efficient Sunday School teacher and su- 
perintendent. It is rarely that men in his profession, 
burdened with public duties, think that they can find 
time for Sunday School work. All honor, then, to 
those who, like our departed friend, can find it in 
their hearts to make sacrifices of time and labor for 
the furtherance of the Gospel. 

‘‘There is one special trait of our friend’s character 
which I desire particularly to mention, namely, his 
simple, child-like faith. Whatever gifts he had, and you 
know they were not a few, he seemed to lay them all 
at the feet of Christ, and to say, like Samuel ‘Speak 
Lord, for Thy servant heareth.’ I long for the firm 
grasp of the promises of God and the unfailing trust 
in His mercy that this venerable man had. Nothing 
doubting, nothing questioning, he accepted the min- 
istrations of the Church in their fullness and rested 
completely in the promises of God made to his faith- 
ful children in His Church. Always in his place at 
public worship, and regular in his attendance at Holy 
Communion, he showed to the world that his faith 
was indeed real and that he was a true servant of 
his Divine Master.”’ 


GEORGE THOMAS LOWEN. 


George Thomas Terendo Wells Lowen, commonly 
called George, descended from that hardy race of sea- 
men to whom England owes her naval supremacy, 
was born in Middlesex, Southgate, Kent, England, 
on November 20, 1809. He married Mary Cook 
(born in Margate, Kent, England, on April 26, 1807), 








GrorGE T. Lowen. 








A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 265 


in her native place, April 6, 1828. Six years later he 
left England for the United States, having set sail 
from St. Catherine’s Docks, London, on September 
14, 1834, in the ship Allegheny, commanded by Cap- 
tain Michells, and landed, with his wife and five chil- 
dren, in Philadelphia on November 11 of the same year. 
After spending one week in Philadelphia, he started 
for Pittsburgh in a stage coach, and completed the 
tough journey in three days and three nights. He 
spent two years farming down at Beaver, and then 
came to Pittsburgh and made his home at the corner 
of Fifth avenue and Washington street. The Pitts- 
burgh Gas Works had just been completed at that 
time, and Mr. Lowen was engaged by the company 
to do gas fitting, and managed the first gas-fitting se- 
tablishment set up in Pittsburgh. A few years later 
the gas company sold out the gas-fitting department, 
and appointed Mr. Lowen gas inspector, which po- 
sition he held until 1875, when he became so afflicted 
with rheumatism that he was forced to retire, after 
spending forty years in the employ of the gas com- 
pany. 

On his retiring the gas company presented to him 
the sum of $1,000 as a token of their appreciation of 
his integrity and faithfulness during so many years 
of service. 

Mr. Lowen became a citizen of the United States, by 
naturalization, October 12, 1840. 

After the great fire in 1845 he sold his property at 
Fifth avenue and Washington street and moved to 
Mount Washington and located on Virginia street, 
corner of Railroad. Here the family resided for about 
eight years, and in 1854 he moved to a farm in Union 
Township, back of Mount Washington, where he 
ended his days. After retiring from the gas works 
he devoted his attention to the management of his 
farm. He lived here in comfort and contentment, sur- 
rounded by his children. He raised a large family of 
sons and daughters, and has many decendants living 
in and near Pittsburgh. He was elected a member of 
the first vestry of Grace Church on the organization 
of the parish in 1851, and continued to hold that office 
for several years. 

He died February 12, 1885, in his seventy-sixth 
year, trusted and respected by all who knew him. 


266 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


ABRAHAM KIRKPATRICK LEWIS. 


A. Kirk. Lewis, son of Dr. Joel Lewis, the first 
graduate of medicine who practiced in Pittsburgh, 
and Mary Ann Kirkpatrick, youngest daughter of 
Maj. Abraham Kirkpatrick, also of Pittsburgh, was 
born in Pittsburgh August 24, 1815. He was bap- 
tized and confirmed in Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, 
of which church his father and mother were members. 

He was educated at Kenyon College, Gambier, 
Ohio, and graduated about 1836. After devoting a 
short time to the study of medicine, he abandoned 
that as a profession and took up the study of law. 
He was admitted to the Pittsburgh bar, where he 
practiced for a number of years. In the latter part 
of his life he devoted much time and attention to the 
developement of the coal deposits underlying the 
homestead property of the Kirkpatrick family on 
Mount Washington. 

Mr. Lewis was exceptionally well informed in 
Church doctrines and literature, and was an earnest, 
devout churchman. During his whole life he took 
a very active part in Church work. He was one of 
the founders of Grace Church, and was elected a mem- 
ber of the first vestry of that church on the organi- 
zation of the parish in 1851, and held that position con- 
tinuously fora number of years. He was secretary of 
the vestry, and all the earlier records of the parish 
are in his handwriting. He served also for a number 
of years as vestryman of Trinity Church, the mother 
church of Pittsburgh. 

His wife, Mary Orth, of Steubenville, to whom he 
was married April 16, 1846, died December 18, 1853, 
leaving four children, the youngest of whom died 
April 13, 1861. A son and two daughters are still 
living. 

Mr. Lewis was a man of unfaltering principles, of 
manly spirit, of refined and cultivated tastes, and 
noble, generous disposition. He possessed the chiv- 
alry of his grandfather, Major Kirkpatrick, and the 
high culture of his father, Dr. Joel Lewis. He died 
in Pittsburgh, at his home on Mount Washington, 
November 10, 1860, highly respected by a wide circle 
of devoted friends, and was buried in Allegheny 
Cemetery. 





ABRAHAM KIRKPATRICK LEWIS. 











SQUIRE EDWARD BRAtTr. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 267 


MEMBERS OF THE VESTRY OF 1869, AT THE 
TIME OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE 
CHURCH. 


Edward Bratt, senior warden; John C. Shaler, 
junior warden; Samuel H. Harper, treasurer; Thomas 
J. Bigham, William L. Bond, John S. McMillin, 
William Halpin. 


EpWARD Bratt, SENIOR WARDEN, VESTRYMAN AND 
TREASURER OF GRACE CHURCH. 


Edward Bratt, born November, 1805, in West Bro- 
mish, near Dudley Castle, England, was decended 
from an old family of skilled iron workers. He learned 
in his native place his father’s trade of iron refiner, 
and early became a very skillful workman. He mar- 
ried Jane Richards, daughter, of Benjamin Richards, 
of Wolverhampton, England, in October, 1827, in the 
parish church of West Bromish. 

He left England in 1830, with his family, then con- 
sisting of his wife and two children, James and Mary, 
and sailed for America, landing in New York —, 
after a stormy voyage of six weeks. He first set- 
tled in Boonton, New Jersey, where he worked at ‘his 
trade of iron refiner in the iron mills of that place. 
After seven years spent in Boonton, he moved to 
Pittsburgh, in 1837, already at that time an importnt 
center of the iron industry, and worked at his trade 
inthe Kensington Mills. In 1843 he formed a co-op- 
erative partnership with Messrs. Fuller, Cooper and 
Dangerfield, and with them established an iron manu- 
factory in Franklin, Venango County, Pa., to which 
place he moved with his family and spent three years. 
The business, owing to the difficulty of transporting 
their products to market, was not satisfactorily suc- 
cessful, and in 1846 the company sold their works to 
Henry B. Coulter, of Pittsburgh, and Mr. Bratt re- 
turned to Pittsburgh and resumed his trade in the 
Kensington Mills, living meantime at the corner of 
Third avenue and Grant street. 

In 1858 he purchased a large piece of ground on 
Mount Washington, at the corner of Wyoming and 
Virginia streets, and, having built himself a com- 





268 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


fortable home on this ground, moved his family up on 
the Fourth of July of that year. Here he spent the 
remainder of his life, known and respected by all the 
residents of the Hill district. He raised a family of 
seven children, three sons and four daughters. Two of 
his sons became physicians, and a third served in 
the Army of the West through the War of the Re- 
bellion, and after participating in several engage- 
ments was severely wounded at the battle of Mur- 
freesboro. 

Mr. Bratt was justice of the peace for more than 
twenty years in the borough of Mount Washington, 
afterwards the Thirty-second Ward, and was familiarly 
known as Squire Bratt. His official character was 
unblemished and his integrity without reproach. 

He was confirmed by Bishop Kerfoot in Grace 
Church, July 18 ,1869, along with his daughter Nellie, 
and at once became a devout and consistent com- 
municant. He was elected a vestryman in 1868, and 
continued to hold that office until his death. He 
was also made treasurer of the vestry at Easter, 1872, 
which position he held for twelve years, and was re- 
lieved of his trust then only on his own urgent solici- 
tation, because the infirmities of age made him desire 
to be relieved of responsibility. 

Mr. Bratt met with an accident in his trade by 
which he lost his right leg below the knee. This loss, 
though in part remedied by the use of an artificial 
limb, much hindered his getting about; and yet his 
punctuality in keeping engagements and his regular- 
ity in attending public worship were remarkable, 
and showed what determination of purpose and con- 
scientiousness of life can accomplish, even when one 
is hindered by the feebleness of age and impeded by 
the lossofa limb. He lost his faithful wife on the 5th 
of February, 1884, after they had lived together fifty- 
seven years. Life now seemed to him a different 
thing without the companionship of her who all these 
years had been his helper and counselor; and though 
he complained not, yet he felt keenly the unwonted 
loneliness. The devotion and attention of his daugh- 
ters soothed his bereavement and mitigated his loneli- 
ness. In the following year his end came. He died 
October 30, 1885, and was buried in Allegheny Ceme- 
tery on All Saints’ Day, November 1. 











Joun Conway SIALER, JR. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 269 


In the address made at the church during the 
funeral service the rector ended by saying: 

“Our departed friend lived beyond the allotted time 
of man, having filled out four-score years, and, loved 
and respected by all who knew him, ripeinthe Chris- 
tian graces of humility and faith, and full of the hope 
for that better life which awaits the people of God, has 
gone to his rest in peace. Long have we had before 
us his quiet, gentle, unassuming life; long have we 
known his truthfulness, his faithfulness, his upright- 
ness. In all the duties of life he was conscientious 
and truthful. As a husband and father he was kind 
and affectionate; as a friend and neighbor he was 
generous and charitable; as a citizen and churchman 
reliable and faithful. *. * * 

‘‘He was abstemious in all his habits and temperate 
in manner and speech. The marked traits of his 
character, I should say, were truthfulness, honesty 
and gentleness, Christian graces of the highest order. 
You felt these characteristics of the man in all your 
intercourse with him. * * * In _ his religious 
duties his fidelity and consistency were very marked. 
Notwithstanding the factthat he walked with difh- 
culty, his seat was rarely ever vacant in the church at 
the time of public worship. Sitting there, just below me, 
Icould not but observe that he was ever a devout 
and attentive worshiper. His responses were steady 
and hearty, and he attentively followed the lessons 
with his Bible open before him. He steadily went on 
in his quiet, devout manner, doing what he could, less 
by speech than by manner and action, to aid the 
Church that he loved and to give honor to his Divine 
Master. He has now finished his course and gone to 
his rest in the faith of his forefathers, and in the ripe- 
ness of a contented and peaceful old age. Thank 
God, then, brethren, for the devout life, the good ex-: 
ample of His faithful servant, and honor his memory 
and emulate his virtues.” 


Joun Conway SHALER, JR., JUNIOR WARDEN, 1869. 


John Conway Shaler, Jr., only son of John C. and 
Sena Shaler, was born October 13, 1843, on his father’s 
farm on Coal Hill, South Side, in that part of the Hill 
now known as Duquesne Heights, in the Thirty-fifth 
Ward of Pittsburgh. He was a grandson of the late 


270 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Judge Charles Shaler, of Pittsburgh, and a great- 
grandson of Maj. Abraham Kirkpatrick, from whom his 
family inherited the land on which he resided until his 
death. Up to his eighteenth year his life was that of 
the average boy raised on a farm. He received the 
elementary part of his education at a country school 
in the neighborhood of his home, and afterwards had 
the benefit of a two-years’ course of study in the select 
school kept by the Rev. Richard S. Smith in the old 
Sunday School room of Trinity Church, Sixth ave- 
nue, Pittsburgh. 

He was baptized in Grace Church, by the Rev. J. 
S. Hodges, on September 28, 1856, and confirmed in 
the same place, by the Rt. Rev. William Bacon Stev- 
ens, Bishop of Pennsylvania, on August 1, 1862. 

Soon after his confirmation in 1862, when nearly 
nineteen years of age, he enlisted in Hampton’s Bat- 
tery, of Pittsburgh, a light artillery company, which 
gained high distincton for gallantry in the War of the 
Rebellion. He served with this battery continuously 
from the time of his enlistment until the close of 
hostilities in April, 1865. 

After leaving the army he entered into mercantile 
pursuits in Pittsburgh, and also in Cincinnati and St. 
Louis, for the most part in the employ of others, 
though for ten years he conducted a glassware busi- 
mess in his own name. He married November 4, 
1869, Nellie Ruth Bratt, youngest daughter of the 
late Edward and Jane Bratt, of Wyoming street, 
and has three sons, two of whom were baptized and 
all of whom have been confirmed in Grace Church. 
Mr. Shaler was closely identified with Grace Church 
almost from its organization—first as a Sunday School 
scholar, then as librarian of the Sunday School, then 
a teacher in the same, and then for many years he was 
superintendent of the Sunday School. He was a 
vestryman of Grace Church for a number of years, 
acting frequently as secretary of the vestry and 
warden of the church. He was several times a deputy 
to the Diocesan Convention, and often acted as lay 
reader. He represented his ward (the 35th) in the 
city council and for a number of years was a member 
of the Board of School Directors. His life, it may be 
seen, therefore, was a very active and useful one, 
both as a churchman and as a citizen. 








WiLtram L. Bonn, Sr. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 271 


In the midst of his usefulness, and while planning 
for the promoting of the Church’s interests, he was 
unexpectedly called away. Sunday, January 17, 1897, 
he was at church both in the morning and in the even- 
ing, and after the evening service he walked with 
the rector to the Mount Washington Incline Plane, 
where he stood a short time with the rector talking 
over some matters of church work which gave him 
anxiety. The air was keen and rain was beginning 
tofall. They parted and Mr. Shaler walked hurriedly 
to his home on Duquesne Heights, getting quite wet 
and heated in his walk. The next day, Monday, he 
was ill, and on Friday, almost before his friends knew 
of his illness, he died. He was buried from Grace 
Church on Sunday afternoon, the 24th inst., the rec- 
tor officiating, assisted by the Rev. A. D. Brown. 
Grace Church has lost no other member whose 
death left such a gap in all its parochical activities. 
The rector, the vestry, the Sunday School, all missed 
his inspiring presence, and knew not who would take 
his place. All still miss him (1903) and remember 
with devout thankfulness his beautiful and useful 
life. He was a noble, pure, devout servant of God, 
faithful and untiring in his work for the Blessed 
Master. It is a glory to the Church to carry upon its 
records the name of such a worthy, true man. Though 
dead, his work and his example still speak for his 
Master. “‘May I die the death of the righteous, and 
may my end be like his.” 


WILLIAM LUKE Bonp. 


William Luke Bond, son of Joseph and Sarah Bond, 
was born in the city of Gloucester, England, June 
18, 1830. His father was a nurseryman and florist, 
and he adopted his father’s business. He was bap- 
tized in St. Michael’s Church, Gloucester, by the 
Rev. Charles Hardwick, who was for forty years rector 
of St. Michael’s, of which church his father, Joseph 
Bond, was for many years senior warden, and was 
holding the position when he died. He and three 
hundred others from the different churches of the 
city were confirmed on the same day, by Bishop 
Monk, in Gloucester Cathedral. 


272 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


He came to the United States in 1848 and went 
first with A. J. Downing to Washington, D. C,, to 
assist in improving the Capitol grounds, and then 
came to Pittsburgh in 1853 and engaged with A. 
Kirk Lewis in the gardening and greenhouse busi- 
ness, on Mount Washington, and made his home on 
Virginia avenue near Oneida street, now Thirty- 
second Ward of Pittsburgh. 

He married Annie M. Golding, December 27, 1860, 
in St. Mark’s Church, South Side, the Rev. Jubal 
Hodges officiating. He was a member of the vestry 
at the time of the consecration of Grace Church, in 
1869, and continued to hold this position for a num- 
ber of years. He has five sons, all baptized and mem- 
bers of Grace Church. 


Capt. JOHN SmitH McMILLiIn. 


John Smith McMillin, son of William and Catherine 
Smith McMillin, Scotch-Irish Covenanters, who set- 
tled in Beaver County at the close of the last century, 
was born July 23, 1817, in Georgetown, Beaver 
County, Pa., where he spent his youth and received 
a common: school education. He was the fourth 
child of a family of thirteen children. When fifteen 
years old he engaged in keel-boating on the Ohio 
River; he next became a pilot on a-steamboat, and 
soon, by quickness and attention to business, he be- 
came a captain and was master and owner of several 
fine boats, and ran regularly to Memphis, New Or- 
leans and all points onthe Lower Mississippi River. 
During the Civil War he won for himself high reputa- 
tion for bravery by fearlessly running the blockade 
at Vicksburg in his boat, the Silver Wave, and carry- 
ing supplies to the army below the city. He invented 
and put into successful use the well-known steam 
capstan, now a necessary part of the equipment of 
every river steamboat. 

In April, 1853, he moved to Pittsburgh and built 
a home on Grandview avenue, corner of Bigham 
street, Mount Washington, where he continued to 
reside until his death. 

He was married twice. His first wife was Phebe 
Ann Fry, daughter of Dr. Thomas Fry, of Rhode 
Island, who moved with his family to Georgetown. 
They were married in Georgetown in December, 1846, 














Capt. JOHN S. 


McMILLIN. 





A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 273 


and Mrs. McMillin died in Pittsburgh July 8, 1866, 
leaving no children. His second wife, Mary Bindley, 
eldest daughter of John C. and Elmina Bindley, of 
Pittsburgh, he married August 7, 1867. She and 
three children, one daughter and two sons, survive 
him. He was baptized by Dr. Killikelly, in Grace 
Church, July 10, 1866, at the funeral of his first wife, 
beside the remains, and was confirmed by Bishop 
Kerfoot in St. Peter’s Church, Pittsburgh, April 14, 
1867. He was a vestryman of Grace Church nearly 
thirty years; was several times senior warden; six 
years treasurer of the church, and was frequently 
deputy of the same church to the Annual Convention 
of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He was a liberal con- 
tribuzor to the expense of putting a basement school- 
room under the church in 1865, and also to the fund 
for finishing and furnishing the church in 1869. He 
was a contributor to the support of the church from 
the time he moved to Mount Washington and a 
communicant of the same for twenty-six years. He 
died March 11, 1893, in the seventy-sixth year of his 
age. 

The circumstances of his death were peculiar. On 
Saturday morning, March 11, 1893, he started as 
usual for his place of business in the city, the Bindley 
Hardware Company. Near his gate he met Miss Eliza- 
beth Kenah, and they walked on together, the Captain 
being, as he often was, in a joking, playful mood. 
They were proceeding along Grandview avenue go- 
ing toward the Monongahela Incline Plane, and had 
just crossed Stanwix street, when he threw his left 
hand up to his head with an exclamation of sudden 
pain, tottered, and laid hold of the fence at the side 
of the street, sank down to the ground and in a few 
moments (before a physician could reach him) was 
dead. 

The funeral service was held at his late residence 
on Tuesday, March 14, 1893, at 2 P. M., in the pres- 
ence of a large gathering of his relations and friends, 
and he was buried the same afternoon in Allegheny 
Cemetery. He was a well-known man, of strong 
character, noted for his simplicity, honesty and 
sincerity. 


274 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


The Rev. R. J. Coster, in an address at his funeral, 
said: 

‘““God’s providences sometimes touch our hearts 
with peculiar force and stir our feelings to their low- 
est depths. Their suddenness and their pathetic 
surroundings point to God’s immediate presence and ~ 
tell us that they are the work of His Hand. We can- 
not read the secret counsels of the Almighty; but this 
we know, His ways are wise and merciful. He doeth 
all things well. His infinite wisdom precludes mis- 
takes. In faith, therefore, we bow to His Blessed 
Will, believing that His ordering is best. In times 
of sudden bereavement, like this, the promises of 
God’s Holy Word come to give us resignation and 
comfort. The Church of Christ, the mother of all 
the believing, comes to us with her sacred ministra- 
tions; her lessons and her prayers speak to us in 
Christ’s name and bid us fear not, faint not. * * * 

‘““These thoughts harmonize well with the occasion 
that brings us together here today. Our friend and 
fellow-servant of God, to whom His Master granted 
more than his three-score years and ten, has been 
suddenly taken from our midst. So unexpected was 
the summons that we can hardly yet realize that we 
shall no more meet him in his home; no more meet 
him in the church. * * * We have been so long 
accustomed to see his tall form and his striking feat- 
ures, so long accustomed to see his kindly smile and 
to hear cordial welcome, that we shall sadly miss him 
many days. We had learned to look upon him 
almost as a permanent part of this community. 
For forty years he had occupied this home and iden- 
tified himself with the interests of this section of the 
city. Most or all of those years he has been closely 
connected with Grace Church. For nearly thirty 
years he was one of its vestrymen; he was several 
times senior warden, for many years treasurer, and 
frequently he represented his parish in the Diocesan 
Convention All these years he and his family have 
been members of Grace Church, and often have they 
come toits aid in times of need. Someof you have 
known our departed friend longer than I have, but for 
nearly twenty-five years 1 have enjoyed his friend- 
ship and confidence. His home was always open to 
me, and here I always met a kindly greeting and a 























Major SAMUEL HARPER. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 275 


cordial welcome. I constantly met him on terms of 
closest intimacy, and this intimacy only increased 
my confidence and respect for the man. As one 
learned to know him well, and to understand his 
ways and modes of expression, one could not fail to 
appreciate the sterling traits of his character, his 
simplicity, his honesty, his sincerity. Like every 
man of strong character, he had his peculiarities, and 
these peculiarities caused him sometimes to be mis- 
understood by those who imperfectly knew him. But 
to his intimate friends these peculiarities only in- 
tensified his personality and made him the man that 
they love to honor and remember. His sudden de- 
parture while still busy with his ordinary duties, the 
tragic termination of his active life, will tend to pro- 
long his memory and to deepen the keenness of our 
sense of loss. But let us not sorrow for him as men 
without hope. He was a believer in Christ. He was 
a communicant of the Church. He died in the faith; 
and although he was reserved in the expression of his 
religious convictions, as most men of a like character 
are, yet he accepted the great truths of the Gospel 
and died trusting in his Lord. We can, therefore, lay 
him to rest believing that God will deal mercifully 
with him for Christ’s sake and give him the rest and 
peace that shall be the portion of his faithful people.”’ 


Major. SAMUEL HARPER. 


Samuel Harper was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Au- 
gust 8, 1837, of Scotch-Irish parentage, and was bap- 
tized in infancy by the late Joseph Kerr, D. D., then 
pastor of the Associate Reformed Church, on Sixth 
avenue. His father died when he was nine years 
old, leaving a large family. He was educated in the 
public schools of Pittsburgh, and when seventeen 
years old entered the law office of John Hamilton, of 
Pittsburgh, as a clerk, and soon after was registered 
as a law student. In December, 1855, he accom- 
panied his preceptor, John Hamilton, to Fort Mad- 
ison, Iowa, and remained there until the death of 
Mr. Hamilton, in 1856. He then returned to Pitts- 
burgh and continued the study of law, and in October, 
1858, was admitted to practice in the courts of Alle- 
gheny County. 


276 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


He married July 17, 1860, Helen Whittier, daughter 
of Isaac and Adeline M. Whittier, of Grandview 
avenue, Mount Washington. He now became a 
member of the Episcopal Church, to which his wife 
and her family belonged, and was confirmed b 
Bishop Stevens, in St. Andrew’s Church, Pittsburgh, - 
in 1861. 

He was thoroughly loyal during our late Civil War 
(1861-65), and entered the Union Army in August, 
1862, and served to the close of the war as an officer 
in the 139th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. 

In May, 1867, he was appointed Register in Bank- 
ruptcy for his Congressional District, and continued 
to hold this office until his death. He was a vestry- 
man of Grace Church in 1868 and 1869, and it was 
largely due to his efforts that the church was finished 
and furnished in the latter year and all the indebted- 
ness paid off, that the church might be consecrated. 
He held the position of vestryman in Grace Church 
for a number of years successively, and then on the 
death of Mr. Isaac Whittier, his father-in-law, suc- 
ceeded him as a vestryman of St. Andrew’s Church, 
and held that position until his death. 

Mr. Harper was a positive man, strong in his con- 
victions and strict in the performance of duty. The 
bent of early religious instructions influenced his 
opinions on Church matters to the end, and pre- 
vented him from being in full sympathy with the 
doctrinal position and teachings of his adopted 
Church as expounded by such sound and learned 
theologians as Bishops Whittingham and Kerfoot. 
And yet, while in favor of giving to the laity wide 
latitude in interpreting the doctrinal standards of 
the Church, he thought that the clergy should be 
held in all their teachings and ministrations strictly 
to the letter and spirit of the rubrics and canons of 
the Church. 

Mr. Harper was very prominent as an officer of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and spent much time 
and labor in fostering the interests and purposes of 
that patriotic organization. He died May 16, 1889, 
aged 52 years, greatly respected by a wide circle of 
friends, leaving a wife and five children, two sons and 
three daughters. 














WILLIAM HALPIN. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 277 


WILLIAM HALPIN. 


William Halpin, son of William and Mary Halpin, 
was born in the village of Larganguen, County Louth, 
Ireland, January 15, 1830. He was baptized in the 
village church in infancy. and was confirmed by 
Richard Wheatley, Archbishop of Dublin, in St. 
Peter’s Church, Dublin, November 28, 1843, and 
received his first communion at the same time and 
place. 

When about seventeen years old he emigrated to 
America, landing,in New York June 15, 1847, and 
arriving in Pittsburgh, his future home, July 3 of 
the same year. 

He was married in Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, by 
the Rev. T. B. Lyman, D. D., rector, June 18, 1857, 
to Maria W. Lowen, daughter of George T. and Mary 
Lowen, of Pittsburgh, and in 1858 moved to Mount 
Washington and made his home on Virginia street, 
now Thirty-second Ward, Pittsburgh, where he spent 
the rest of his life. His business was plumbing and gas 
fitting, and he was for anumber of years a member of 
the firm of Jarvis & Halpin, and later the head of 
the firm of Halpin, Kennedy & Co. 

He was elected a member of the vestry of Grace 
Church in 1867, and held the position for more than 
ten years, acting several times meanwhile as warden 
and deputy to the Diocesan Convention. He be- 
came later a member of St. Peter’s, Pittsburgh, 
and a vestryman of that church. 


Mr. Halpin took a very active part in finishing 
and refurnishing Grace Church in 1869; and in 1875, 
when the church was newly frescoed and painted, he 
put in a stained-glass chancel window as a memorial 
to his father and mother, who lie buried, the one in 
an unknown grave in Dublin, having died in a cholera 
epidemic, the other in the sea, having died on the 
voyage to America. 

Mr. Halpin continued to attend St. Peter’s Church 
until 1897, when, feeling somewhat increasing feeble- 
ness from age, he left and again began to attend 
Grace Church. His strength failed rapidly from this 
time, and on Good Friday, April 11, 1900, he died, in 
the seventy-first year of his age, outliving his wife 


278 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


not quite two years. All his life Mr. Halpin was an 
earnest churchman and regular attendant upon 
public worship. He could be seen every Sun- 
day morning going to church to take his place among 
the worshipers. He was, too, a very devout and 
hearty worshiper, few entering more earnestly into 
the service of the hour than he did. In this respect 
his life was truly exemplary, and we of today who are 
less punctilious in regard to the sacred duty of public 
worship may take a wholesome lesson from such a 
life as was that of our departed brother. 














ALFRED A. MARLAND. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 279 


VESTRY OF 1893. 


Alfred Marland, senior warden; Oliver H. Stinson, 
junior warden; Melville L. Stout, secretary; George 
A. Johnson, treasurer; Thomas S. Ashford, Sr., John 
C. Shaler, Orin W. Sadler, M. D. 


ALFRED MARLAND, VESTRYMAN AND SENIOR WARDEN 
oF Grace CHURCH. 


Alfred Marland, son of George and Marland, 
was born at Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Eng- 
land, March 12, 1837, and, according to the records of 
Ashton Parish Church (St. Michael’s), he was bap- 
tized on Sunday, April 9, 1837. He was confirmed 
in the same church September 4, 1852, by the Bishop 
of Manchester, in whose diocese Ashton-under-Lyne 
is situated. His name was enrolled on the Sunday 
School books from early childhood up to the time 
of his leaving England to take part inthe Russo- 
Turkish war. In 1854 he joined the Osmanli Horse 
Artillery and served two years in Asiatic Turkey in 
and around Constantinople. At the close of the war 
he returned to England, and again joined the Sunday 
School of his native parish and maintained his con- 
nection therewith until he left England, in 1863, to 
come to the United States. He came to Pittsburgh 
in 1867, and two years later married Sarah Smith, 
and, having finally made his home on Mount Wash- 
ington, he and his family became members of Grace 
Church. Having learned the trade of machinist and 
engineer in his native country, he followed this busi- 
ness for some years after coming to Pittsburgh. In 
1882 he established the firm of Marland, Neely & 
Co., for the manufacture of nuts and bolts. He was 
a member of the city council from the Thirty-second 
Ward from 1878 to 1888, and was elected a member 
of the State Legislature in 1889. 

He is a churchman by birth and education, and 
therefore was a regular worshiper at Grace Church 
from the time of his moving to Mount Washington 
and locating his home on Southern avenue. 





280 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


He was first elected a member of the vestry of 
Grace Church in 1873, and continuously took an 
active interest in the affairs of the parish, and 
steadily did what he could to promote its welfare. 
He has one son and two daughters. In 1897 he 
moved from the parish to a farm in West Virginia, 
where at this date (1903) he continues to reside, still 
keeping his interest in the Church and her work and 
attending the services whenever an opportunity 
offers. 

OLIvER HALPIN STINSON. 


Oliver Halpin Stinson, eldest son of Robert and 
Ann Stinson, was born in Pittsburgh, March 13, 1858. 
His parents came from Dublin, Ireland, and settled 
in Pittsburgh. They were members of the Anglican 
Church and raised their children in the same faith. 

Oliver was baptized in Trinity Church, Pittsburgh, 
May 14, 1858, by the rector, the Rev. Theodore B. 
Lyman. He was confirmed in the same church on 
Easter eve, March 31, 1877, by John Barrett Ker- 
foot, D. D., first Bishop of Pittsburgh, and received 
his first communion on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1877, 
at the hands of the Rev. William A. Hitchcock, then 
rector of Trinity Church. 

He received his elementary education in the public 
schools of Pittsburgh, then entered the Western Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania, from which institution he 
was graduated in June, 1877. 

He learned the plumbing and gas-fitting business 
and became a member of the firm of Halpin, Kennedy 
& Co. In 18—, he moved to Mount Wahington and 
began to attend the services of Grace Church. At 
Easter, 1888, he was elected a member of the vestry 
of Grace Church, and in 1889 he was made junior 
warden, and held this position at his death. He was 
married in Grace Church, June 25, 1891, by Bishop 
Whitehead, to Anna Margaret Hosbach, daughter of 
John and Margaret E. Hosbach, of Hazelwood, Pitts- 
burgh, and went to live in his new home, on Bailey 
avenue, Mount Washington, in a beautiful site over- 
looking the two rivers and the lower part of the city. 

Mr. Stinson was a churchman by birth and educa- 
tion; he was a prudent counselor in all Church affairs, 
and a citizen much respected for his integrity and 
courtesy. 


Per | 














OLIVER HALPIN STINSON. 





iin at a 
; Tey w 
Beat ihe 

















MeLviLLeE L Stout. 








A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 281 


His sudden, unexpected death was a great shock 
to his friends. While on his way home Saturday 
evening, April 5, 1902, he was run over by a street 
car at the foot of Castle Shannon Incline Plane, and, 
being taken to the South Side Hospital, died at 6 
o'clock the next morning. He was buried from his 
home, on Bailey avenue, Tuesday, April 8, the 
rector officiating. He was a genial, popular man, 
successful in business and much esteemed by a wide 
circle of friends. Taken away suddenly in the prime 
of life, with so much before him to make life desirable, 
he was deeply mourned for by his family and friends. 
We cannot always understand God’s ways, but we 
know ‘‘He doeth all things well.”’ 


MELLVILLE L. Stout. 


Mellville L. Stout, son of John and Charlotte (nee 
Dager) Stout, was born at Norristown, Montgomery 
County, Pa., June 2, 1849. His parents were Metho- 
dists, and his early religious instruction was received 
in that body. His elementary education he re- 
ceived in the public schools of Norristown, and at a 
later date he had atwo years’ course of instruction in 
the high school of the same place. He moved to 
Pittsbuegh in the fall of 1869, and became a pupil of 
Prof. Rohbuck on the organ and piano. On Novem- 
ber 6, 1870 (Sunday), he took charge of the organ of 
Grace Church, and has, with the exception of one or 
two short intervals, been closely identified with the 
music of the church ever since. 

Soon after he began to play the organ of Grace 
Church he decided to become a member of the Epis- 
copal Church, and was confirmed by Bishop Kerfoot 
the Sunday after Christmas, December 28, 1873, and 
has been a regular communicant ever since. He 
married April 7, 1885, Mary Jane Bigham, eldest 
daughter of the late Thomas J. and Maria L. Bigham, 
of Woodville avenue, Mount Washington. He was 
elected a member of the vestry in 1893, and is now 
secretary of that body. Mr. Stout is an expert sten- 
ographer, and is engaged as the secretary of a large coal 
firm of the city. His musical ability and his active in- 
terest in all the affairs of the church make him a 
very useful member of the congregation. 


282 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


GEORGE ABRAHAM JOHNSON. 


George Abraham Johnson, son of George and Sarah 
Richards Johnson, was born in Newark, N. J., Novem- 
ber 19, 1846. His parents were members of the Epis- 
copal Church, and all their children were raised under 
its guidance and teaching, attending regularly the 
Sunday School and services. 

He received his education in the public schools of 
Newark, where his boyhood was spent. At the age 
of sixteen he enlisted in the 26th Regiment of New 
Jersey Volunteers, and was sent to the front to take 
part in the War of the Rebellion. He was engaged in 
the battles of Deep Run, Fredericksburg, and Chan- 
cellorsville, coming out without any serious injury, 
and was honorably discharged June 27, 1863, the end 
of the term for which he had enlisted. He returned 
to his home in Newark, and in March, 1864, he moved 
thence to Worcester, Mass. and engaged in busi- 
ness. Here, on December 30, 1869, he was 
married to Belle Augusta Hearn, daughter of Pierce 
Hearn, a native of Worcester, Mass. In August, 1885, 
he left Worcester, Mass., and moved with his family 
(his wife, a son and a daughter) to Pittsburgh, and 
made his home on Duquesne Heights, in the Thirty- 
fifth Ward. 

He commenced to attend Grace Church regularly 
in 1889, and to take an active part in all the efforts 
made to promote its interests. He was one of the 
organizers of Grace Church Guild, and served several 
years as a member of its executive committee, and 
afterwards became its president. He was one of the 
promoters of our parish paper, ‘Grace Church Rec- 
ord,’’ and actively maintained it as long as it was 
published. At Easter, 1893, he was first elected a 
member of the vestry of Grace Church. This position 
he held several years, having acted most of the time 
as treasurer of the vestry. Mr. Johnson’s interest 
in the affairs of the church and his prompt business 
habits made him a valuable member of the vestry, 
and won for him the high appreciation of his 
co-laborers in the parish. He moved from the parish 
in 1897, making his home in New Jersey, where he 
stillis an active churchman. 

















GeorGE ABRAHAM JOHNSON. 

















Tuomas F. ASHFORD, SR. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 283 


THOMAS FRANcIS ASHFORD, SR. 


Thomas Francis Ashford, descended from an 
old English family, the son of Thomas Francis and 
Georgiana Roberts Ashford, was born December 14, 
1840, at 21 Tollington Park, Hornsey, London; was 
baptized in St. John’s Church, Hornsey, and con- 
firmed at Camblewell, London, by the Bishop of 
Winchester. He was educated at Rochester House, 
Camden Road, London, and was six years a member 
of the Honorary Horse Artillery Company of London. 
He came to the United States July 1, 1865, and after 
two years spent in Beaver County, Pa., settled in 
Pittsburgh in January, 1867, and followed the busi- 
ness of an accountant. He married, September 10, 
1867, Mary Ann McGowan, of Pittsburgh, the Rev. 
William Preston, D. D., rector of St. Andrew’s 
Church, officiating. He moved to Mount Washing- 
ton March 31, 1883, and fixed his home on Virginia 
avenue and Kearsage street, and himself and family 
became members of Grace Church and regular wor- 
shipers at its services. He was elected a vestryman 
of Grace Church at Easter, 1889, which position he 
continued to hold, until his death, both himself and 
family being very active and helpful members of the 
parish. He died at his home, Bailey avenue and 
Ruth street, Sunday, January 15, 1899, and was 
buried from Grace Church on the 17th, his remains 
being interred in Chartiers Cemetery.. He was a 
generous, noble soul, liberal to a fault, and was 
ean beloved by a large circle of friends. Dormiat 
ene. 


Dr. ORIN W. SADLER. 


Orwin W. Sadler, M. D., son of William Dexter and 
Nancy Sadler, was born at Brewerton, Onondaga 
County, N. Y., January 2, 1843. When three years 
old his parents moved to Millburn, Lake County, IIL, 
where they lived until the Doctor and his brother, Al- 
phonso, grew up to manhood. 

When eighteen years of age he became a member of 
the Disciple Church at Antioch, Ill., the religious 
body to which his parents belonged. He began the 
study of medicine in 1865, attending his first course 


284 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


of lectures at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 
He completed his studies in the medical department 
of the Northwestern University of Chicago, from 
which institution he graduated in 1868. 

He married in 1867 Emma Josephine Slocum, 
daughter of George W. and Rhoda Mantor Slocum, of 
Mantorville, Minn., whose father belonged to the 
family of Slocums of Providence, R. I. Mrs. Sadler, 
the Doctor’s wife, is a Pennsylvanian by birth, as she 
was born at Linesville, Crawford County, Pa., before 
her parents moved to Minnesota. She was raised a 
Congregationalist by her mother, but became a com- 
municant of the Episcopal Church at Mantorville 
under the ministrations of the Rev. Peter S. Ruth, 
who also officiated at her wedding. 

The Doctor, after practicing medicine two years in 
Dodge County, Minn., moved with his family to 
Titusville, Pa., and devoted his attention to diseases 
of the eye, ear, nose and throat. 

In 1874 he moved to Pittsburgh and continued to 
practice in his specialties. In 1881 he built a home 
on Grandview avenue, Mount Washington, and he 
and his family became members. of Grace Church. 
The Doctor was confirmed in Grace Church by 
Bishop Whitehead April 6, 1890, and from that time 
was a regular communicant. He was elected a 
vestryman of Grace Church at Easter, 1884, and held 
that position until he removed from the parish, at 
Easter, 1894. He has four children, two sons and 
two daughters, all baptized into the Church—Lucy 
Belle by the rector of St. Peter’s, and Orin W., Samuel 
S. and Mary Josephine by the rector of Grace Church— 
all of whom are residing with him at his home in 
Florida. 











Orin W. SApLer, M. D. 













JOHN E. BOYCE 


me. 






MELVILLE L.STOUT JOS. W. BOWMAN 






STER \ 






; . ; Se THOS J BIGHAM 
GEO. H, BAKER 4 y 3 Pa TREASURER. 
SRWARDEN x 








A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 285 


RECTOR AND VESTRY OF GRACE CHURCH, 
1903—BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 


Rev. R. J. Coster, D. D., rector; George H. Baker, 
senior warden; Thomas J. Bigham, treasurer; John E. 
Boyce, Joseph William Bowman, George E. Brush, 
Edward C. Purkey; M. L. Stout, junior warden and 
secretary. 


Rev. Ropert JoHN Coster, D. D., Rector oF 
GRACE CHuRCH, PiTTsBuRGH, PA. 


The Rev. Robert John Coster, son of William and 
Jane Eliza (nee Wilkinson) Coster, was born near 
St. Leonards, Calvert County, Md.; was baptized and 
confirmed in Middleham Chapel, Calvert County, 
by Bishop Whittingham; educated in the College of 
St. James, near Hagerstown, Md., under Dr. John 
Barrett Kerfoot (afterward Bishop of Pittsburgh), 
receiving the degree A. B. in 1862; was made deacon 
in 1863 and priest in 1866 by Bishop Whittingham; 
was principal of the Grammar School of the College 
of St. James, 1862-64; taught a private school in 
.Annapolis, Md., 1864-65, under the patronage of 
Governor Bradford and the Hon. Judge Tuck; re- 
ceived the degree M. A. from Trinity College, Hart- 
ford, in 1868, and the degree D. D. from the Western 
University of Pennsylvania in 1897. He was married 
in St. Paul’s Church, Baltimore, by the Rev. Milo 
Mahan, D. D., April 3, 1866, to Helena Marie War- 
denburg, daughter of William Augustus and Maria 
(Price) Wardenburg, of Baltimore; moved to Pitts- 
burgh and became the rector of the Bishop Bowman 
Institute in 1866, and the rector of Grace Church, 
Pittsburgh, in 1868; was secretary of the Convention 
of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, 1868-1888; he has 
been a member of the Standing Committee of the 
Diocese since 1874, and president of the same 
since 1891. He spent the summers of 1878 and 
1881 in Europe, Mrs. Coster accompanying him on 
his second trip. 


GeEorGE H. Baker, SENIOR WARDEN. 


George H. Baker was born of English parents, in 
Mount Savage, Md., in 1856; was confirmed in Em- 
manuel Church, Cumberland, by Bishop Pinckney; 


286 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. ~ 


was educated in the public schools of his native place; 
is by occupation a contractor for brick work. He 
was married in Johnstown, Pa., in 1882, to Viola Bar- 
clay; came to Pittsburgh the same year and united 
himself to St. Mark’s Church, South Side, where he 
served for four years as vestryman and treasurer of 
the church. In 1897 he moved to Mount Washing- 
ton and became a member of Grace Church. At 
Easter, 1900, he was elected a vestryman of Grace 
Church, and has served in that office continuously 
since that time. He was a deputy to the Diocesan 
Convention in 1902, and again in 1903. He is at 
present (1903) senior warden, and has been a Sunday 
School teacher and assistant superintendent of the 
Sunday School for the last five years. 


Tuomas J. BIGHAM, TREASURER. 


Thomas James Bigham, son of Joel L. and Sarah 
Bigham and grandson of the late Hon. Thomas J. 
Bigham, of Pittsburgh, was born in Pittsburgh 
March 23, 1875. He was baptized by the Rev. W. 
R. Mackay, in St. Peter’s, and confirmed in Grace 
Church by Bishop Whitehead on Good Friday, 1896. 
He was married July 11, 1899, in Grace Church, by the 
Rev. Dr. Coster, to Ida, the daughter of Robert and 
Mary Newell. He was for several years employed as 
a clerk in the city auditor’s office, and at present is 
engaged as a special representative in Pittsburgh of 
the American Finance and Securities Company of New 
York. He has been engaged in Sunday School work 
about ten years, and has been superintendent of 
Grace Church Sunday School since Advent, 1900. 
He was elected vestryman at Easter, 1897, and has 
served continuously since, having been senior warden, 
1902-03, and treasurer from 1897 to the present time. 


Joun E. Boyce. 


John E. Boyce was born of English parents, at 
Tipton, Staffordshire, England, April 16, 1866; was 
baptized by the Rev. Mr. Hutton, in St. Paul’s Church, 
Tipton. He-attended St. Paul’s Grammar School, 
Tipton, until he was fourteen years old. His family 
then moved to London, where he sang for four years 
in the choir of St. George’s Church. In London he 
learned the business of window dressing, which oc- 
cupation he still follows. He came to America in 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 287 


1884 and was married in Trinity Church in 1885, in 
New Castle, Pa., to Harriett Jane Whitehead, by the 
Rev. J. D. Herron. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1889, 
made his home on Mount Washington, and began to 
attend Grace Church, where he was confirmed by 
Bishop Whitehead in 1889. He began to sing in 
Grace Church choir the same year, and has 
served as a vestryman of the church since Easter, 1901. 

Mr. Boyce comes from an old family of 
English Church people, his parents, his grandparents 
and his great-grandparents having all been baptized, 
confirmed and married in Dudley Lower Church, in 
Worcestershire, England. 


JosEPH WILLIAM BowMan. 


Joseph William Bowman was born of English par- 
ents, in Danville, Pa., November 24, 1859. He was 
baptized by the Rev. Edwin Lightner, in the Episcopal 
Church in Danville, and at the age of sixteen was con- 
firmed in the same church by Bishop Stevens, of the 
Diocese of Pennsylvania. He received a common 
school education, and learned the trade of iron worker 
in the mills in Danville. He was married in his 
native town to Miss Clara A. Shepperson January 7, 
1882, and in 1889 moved to Pittsburgh and made his 
home on Mount Washington, and he and his family 
became members of Grace Church. He worked in 
the iron mills of Pittsburgh for three years, and then, 
in 1892, began the manufacture of iron and steel 
articles, in which business he is engaged at the 
present time. Mr. Bowman became a vestryman of 
Grace Church at Easter, 1903. 


GEorRGE E. Brus. 


George E. Brush was born in Philadelphia, Pa., 
July 19, 1861. He received his education in the 
public schools of that city, and afterwards took a 
course of instruction in Fewsmiths’ Business College. 
He attended Sunday School at the Church of the 
Good Shepherd, and at the age of eighteen was con- 
firmed in the same church, by Bishop Stevens. He 
was a member of the choir of the Good Shepherd for 
seven years, and also taught a class of boys in the 
Sunday School. Through a change in the place of 
his residence, he connected himself with St. Simeon’s 
Mission, Philadelphia, where he sang in the choir for 


288 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


several years, and helped with his own hands to 
build the first church of the mission by working at 
night. He came to Pittsburgh in 1889, and is en- 
gaged here in the business of pattern. and model 
maker, under the firm name of The Brush & Stevens 
Co. In the winter of 1902 he became a member of 
Grace Church choir, and at Easter of the same year 
he was elected a vestryman of the church, to which 
office he was re-elected in 1903. 


EDWARD CHRISTOPHER PURKEY. 


Edward Christopher Purkey was born in Allegheny 
City, Pa., December 14, 1863, and was baptized in 
Christ Church, Allegheny, by the Rev. Dr. Crumpton. 
He received his education in the Fourth Ward public 
school of his native place. He was married in Em- 
manuel Church, Allegheny, by the Rev. Marrison 
Byllesby, April 24, 1884, to Miss Amanda McCush, 
and was confirmed in Grace Church, Pittsburgh, by 
Bishop Whitehead, on Palm Sunday, March 25, 1888. 

Mr. Purkey resides at 1302 Grandview avenue, 
Duquesne Heights, and is by occupation a worker in 
light structural iron and metal lathing as applied to 
modern fireproof buildings. He has been a vestry- 
man of Grace Church since Easter, 1902. 


MeELvILLE L. Stout, JuNIoR WARDEN AND SECRE- 
TARY OF VESTRY. 


Melville L. Stout was born in Norristown, Pa., 
June 2, 1849. He received a common school educa- 
tion in his native place. He moved to Pittsburgh 
in 1869 and became,a music pupil of Prof. H. Roh- 
buck, who was at that time one of the best instructors 
on the organ and piano in the city. In 1870 Mr. 
Stout became organist of Grace Church, and soon 
thereafter moved to Mount Washington, where he 
has since resided. He was confirmed in Grace Church, 
by Bishop Kerfoot, December 28, 1873, and has 
from that date been a regular communicant. He 
was married April 7, 1885, to Mary J. Bigham, the 
eldest daughter of the Hon. Thomas J. Bigham, of 
Pittsburgh. Mr. Stout is by occupation an account- 
ant and secretary, and for a number of years has held 
an important position of trust. He is an amateur 
photographer of great skill, and has furnished several 








Henry WASHINGTON NEELY. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 289 


of the pictures used in illustrating this History of 
Grace Church. He has served several times as organ- 
ist of the church, the period of his combined services 
amounting to about fifteen years. Mr. Stout was 
elected a vestryman in 1893, and is at present secre- 
tary of the vestry and junior warden of the parish. 


Henry WASHINGTON NEELY, 


For several years superintendent of the Sunday School 
and vestryman and warden of Grace Church. 


Henry Washington Neely, son of Robert and Jane 
Neely, was born on the South Side, Pittsburgh, Feb- 
ruary 22, 1864. His parents moved to Mount Wash- 
ington, Thirty-second Ward, the same year. He re- 
ceived his education in the publicschools of Pittsburgh, 
having attended for several years at the old frame 
schoolhouse which stood on the corner of Sycamore 
and Stanwix streets until 1901, when it was torn 
down and the site covered with dwelling houses. He 
was confirmed in Grace Church, by Bishop White- 
head, on Palm Sunday, March 25, 1888. He was 
married to Mary Magdalena Stinson, in Grace Church, 
by the Rev. R. J Coster, on September 6, 1888. 

In the spring of 1897 Mr. Neely became superin- 
tendent of Grace Church Sunday School, as successor 
to the late John C. Shaler, Jr., and filled the position 
with great acceptability to teachers and scholars. 
He thus became a very useful worker in the Sunday 
School which he himself attended when a boy, and 
which his father and mother also had attended in 
early life. 

He was elected vestryman in 1896; he served as 
junior warden for five years, 1897-1901, and was also 
deputy to our Diocesan Convention for several years. 

Mr. Neely has been engaged in the dry goods busi- 
ness from his youth, and is at present vice-president 
and general manager of the Pittsburgh Dry Goods Com- 
pany, the largest house of its kind between New York 
and Chicago. In March, 1902, Mr. Neely moved from 
Mount Washington to the East End, Pittsburgh, and 
thereby severed his connection with Grace Church 
parish. 


290 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


GRACE CHURCH GUILD. 


The first organization exclusively of laymen in the 
parish was the result of a meeting called by the rector, 
the Rev. R. J. Coster, during the autumn of 1887. 
On the evening of November 14, the following gentle- 
men met with the Rev. Mr. Coster in the Sunday 
School room of the church, namely: 


Thomas F. Ashford, Jr. 
John Bindley. 

Thomas G. Bond. 
William L. Bond . 
James Chamberlin. 
Herbert A. Davis. 


Julian Maddox. 
Edward C. Purkey. 
Lewis C. Purkey. 
John C. Shaler. 

E. Conway Shaler. 
Oliver H. Stinson. 


M. L. Stout. 
John Williams. 


With the Rev. Mr. Coster in the chair, temporary 
organization was effected by electing John C. Shaler 
president, James Chamberlin secretary, and Oliver 
H. Stinson treasurer. These officers, with the ad- 
dition of Mr. John Bindley, were named a committee 
to draft Canons for the government of the society. 

A second meeting was held in the Sunday School 
room November 28. Mr. Coster presided, and the 
following gentlemen were present: 


Thomas Jones. 


Thomas F. Ashford, Sr. John J. Lowe. 
Thomas F. Ashford, Jr. John S. McMillin. 
John Bindley. William Maltby. 


Kirk Q. Bigham. 
James Chamberlin. 
Herbert A. Davis. 
William Halpin, Jr. 


Lewis C. Purkey. 
O. W. Sadler, M. D. 
John C. Shaler. 
Oliver H. Stinson. 


Henry James. William Singer. 
Thomas Jones. William Speer. 
John Williams. 


At this meeting the name Grace Church Guild was 
adopted, and Canons for the government of the guild 
approved. The Canons provided for a vice-president 
in addition to the officers elected at the first meeting, 
and for an executive committee of five members, to 
act and advise with said officers. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 291 


O. W. Sadler, M. D., was elected first vice-president, 
and Albion Bindley, William P. Linhart, Lewis C. 
Purkey, M. L. Stout and Thomas F. Ashford, Sr., 
were elected as executive committee. 

A copy of the Canons is here inserted to show the 
aims of the Guild and the scope of its work. 


CANONS OF GRACE CHURCH GUILD. 
ADOPTED NOVEMBER 28, 1887. 


CANON I. 
Name. 

The name of this society shall be GracE CHURCH 
GUILD. 

CANON II. 
Principles. 

Section 1. We declare our loyalty to the doctrine, 
discipline and worship of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church. 

Sec. 2. We pledge ourselves to work for the Church, 
under the guidance and with the approval of our 
Rector. 

Sec. 3. We unite together as a band of lay helpers, 
for the following objects: 

First. To promote public worship. 

Second. To encourage intercessary prayer. 

Third. For the purpose of Church work. 


CANON III. 
Worship. 
Sec. 1. We will come regularly to public worship, 
and join heartily in the service. 
Sec. 2. We will endeavor to induce others to attend 
church. 
CANON IV. 
Intercession. 
Sec. 1. We will pray for our Rector and the work 
of the parish. 
Sec. 2. We will pray for our Bishop and the work 
of the Diocese. 
Sec. 3. We will pray for the extension of Christ‘s 
Kingdom among all men. 


2902 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


CANON Vv. 
Work. 


Sec. 1. We will give for the support of the Gospel 
according to our ability. 

Sec. 2. We will do some special work for Christ’s 
sake, particularly such as shall be assigned to us by 
the Guild. 

Sec. 3. We will endeavor by precept and example 
to commend the Gospel to men and interest them in 
Church work. 

CANON VI. 
Membership. 


The membership shall consist of all males of the age 
of 15 years and upward who attend the services of 
the Church. 

CANON VII. 
Officers. 

Sec. 1. The Rector shall be ex officio chairman of 
the Guild, and may preside when he is present at its 
meetings. 

Sec. 2. There shall be elected annually a President, 
a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and five 
persons to act as an executive committee, who shall 
continue in office until their successors are elected. 


CANON VIII. 
Duties of Officers. 


Sec. 1. The President shall preside at all meetings 
in the absence of the Rector and perform all other 
duties pertaining to his office. 

Sec. 2. The Vice-President, in the absence of the 
President, shall perform all the duties of the President. 

Sec. 38. The Secretary shall keep correct minutes 
of the meetings and attend to all correspondence re- 
lating to the business of the Guild; send out notices 
of meetings to the members; receive all dues and 
other moneys belonging to the Guild and turn the 
same over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor, 
and at the end of his term surrender all books and 
papers in his possession, belonging to the Guild, to his 
successor in office. 

Sec. 4. The Treasurer shall keep a correct account 
of all money that comes into his hands as Treasurer; 
pay all warrants drawn by the President and counter- 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 293 


signed by the Secretary; render an account quarterly, 
and at the end of his term surrender all cash, books 
and papers in his possession, belonging to the Guild, 
to his successor in office. 

Sec. 5. The Executive Committee shall act as a 
council of advice to the Guild, and audit all accounts 
of its officers, and, together with them, devise ways 
and means for carrying on the work of the Guild. 

CANON IX. 
Meetings and Dues. 


Sec. 1. The regular meetings of the Guild shall be 
held on the second Monday of each month, at 8 o’clock 
P. M., and the members present shall constitute a 
quorum for transacting business. 

Sec. 2. The annual meeting, for hearing the reports 
of Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Committee, 
and for the election of officers to serve for the ensu- 
ing year, shall be held at the first regular meeting in 
Advent. 

Sec. 3 Each member of the Guild shall pay into 
the Treasury as dues at least one dollar per year, which 
shall be due and payable quarterly in advance at the 
regular meetings in December, March, June and Sep- 
tember. 

CANON X 

Provided for amendments to the Canons. 

The Ladies’ Mite Society had been recognized for 
years as the promoter and leader of the parish ener- 
gies; therefore, the guild believed it should become 
a co-operating body, by undertaking that part of the 
parish work that should naturally be assumed by the 
men. It kept in touch with the vestry and assisted 
with the revenues; it appointed from among its mem- 
bers persons to act as ushers; it sought out and in- 
vited boys into the vested choir; it attended to extra 
seating and comfort of the large congregations inci- 
dent:to the Bishop’s visitations or special services; 
it became responsible for the annual picnic, excur- 
sions, etc., for the Sunday School children and church 
people, and during several seasons provided courses 
of lectures. One of the most important and valuable 
objects undertaken by the guild was the publication 
quarterly for several years of the parish paper, 
‘““Grace Church Record.” 


294 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


During 1892, by reason of removals and changes 
of employment, several of the leading members with- 
drew from active participation in the business of the 
guild; meetings grew irregular and finally ceased, and 
the publication of the ‘“‘Record’’ was suspended. 
Later on most of the young men assisted in the or- 
ganization of another guild, the Coster Guild, having 
a membership made up of both sexes, which largely 
took the place and performed the duties undertaken 
by the former guild. It is cause for much regret 
that these failures in parish organization occur; but 
the experience is not unusual in other parishes or 
among kindred organizations in other Christian 
bodies. 

The offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary 
and Treasurer were filled during the i of the guild 
as follows: 


President, John C. Shaler, 1887-1890 
Thomas F.Ashford,Sr., 1890-1891 
George A. Johnson, 1891-1892 


Vice-President, O. W. Sadler, 1887-1888 
Thomas F. Ashford, Sr, 1888-1890 
Thomas Jones, 1890-1891 
William L. Bond, 1891-1892 
Percy G. Whaley, 1892— 
Percy G. Whaley, 1892— 

Secretary, James Chamberlin, *1887—-1888 
Edward C. Purkey, +1888-1888 
A. Tilson Dalzell, 1888-1890 


George A. Johnson, 1890-1891 
Robert W. Revelvy, 1891-1892 
Harry Bowman, 1892— 
Treasurer, Oliver W. Stinson, 1887-1888 
Joseph F. Bollman, 1888-1892 
Thomas F. Ashford, Jr.,1892— 


* From November, 1887, to April, 1888. 
+ From April, 1888, to November, 1888. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 295 


THE COSTER GUILD OF GRACE CHURCH. 


The Coster Guild was organized November 2, 1893, 
and largely took the place of the former guild, the 


active life of which ceased in 1892. 


Grace Church 


Guild was composed of men only, while the Coster 
Guild included also women among its members. The 
first officers of the Coster Guild were: 

President, G. P. Whaley; Vice-Presidents, Miss Ar- 
della Armstrong and Miss Ida Newell; Secretary, 
Ernest W. Marland, and Treasurer, Samuel H. Kenah. 

In 1895 the membership was as follows: 


Miss Ardella Armstrong. 


Miss Cora Bowman. 
Mr. Victor Benbow. 
Miss Lida Bigham. 

Mr. K. Q. Bigham. 

Mr. T. J. Bigham. 

Mr. F.S. Bond. 

Miss Madge Florence. 
Mrs. I. Harper. 

Mr. William Hoffman. 
Mr. G. F. Johnson. 
Miss Ethel Johnson. 
Mr. Samuel H. Kenah. 
Mr. William D. Kenah. 
Miss Lottie Marland. 
Mr. Ernest W. Marland. 
Mr. Andrew Martell. 








Miss Martel. 
Miss Mabel McCormick. 
Mr. John McCaskey. 
Mr. Lewis McKain. 
Miss Ida Newell. 

Mr. G. C. Park. 

Miss Mildred Phillips. 
Mr. Joseph N. Reeves. 
Miss Clara Small. 

Miss Florence Speer. 
Mr. William D. Shaler. 
Mr. A. Speer. 

Mr. Frank Slocum. 
Mrs. Frank Slocum. 
Mr. Robert Torrence. 
Mr. Oliver Torrence. 
Miss Elizabeth Torrence. 





Mr. Tanner. 


The officers in 1895, were: 


President, Frank S. Bond; Vice-Presidents, Miss Ida 
Newell and Miss Clara Small; Secretary, Thomas J. 
Bigham; Treasurer, Samuel H. Kenah. 

The officers elected November 12, 1901, were: 

President, Joseph N. Reeves; Vice-Presidents, Wil- 
liam Thompson and Joseph E. Ashford; Secretary, 
Thomas J. Bigham, Treasurer, George H. Baker. 

After seven years of much usefulness in the parish, 
meetings were suspended December 10, 1901. 


296 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


HISTORY OF THE FOUNDING OF GRACE 
CHURCH PARISH, MOUNT WASHINGTON. 


By Hon. Tuomas J. BicHAmM. 


(Read before the Mite Society, October, 1883.) 


About a year since the Rev. Richard Smith, regis- 
trar of this diocese, issued a circular to each clergy- 
man asking for a history of his church. The Rey. 
R. J. Coster, our rector, passed this over to me, asking 
me to fill out answers to this circular. At a meeting 
of our own vestry, at which I was not present, action 
was had as indicated by the following letter: 


Pittsburgh, June 6, 1883. 
DeEaR Mr. BicHAmM: 


At the vestry meeting last evening the following 
resolution was adopted: ‘‘That the Hon. T. J. Big- 
ham be requested to write a detailed history of Grace 
Church and read same before the Mite Society at as 
early a date as may be convenient, and that after- 
wards this history shall be filed with and become part 
of the archives of the church.”’ 

We believe that such a paper will be of great interest 
to allthe members of our congregation, and feel sure 
that you are the only person among us who has the 
requisite information and access to the data, or that 
is competent to prepare such a paper. 

Very respectfully, etc., 
Jno. C. SHALER, JR., 
Secretary. 

And now I find, if ever I attempt to answer these 
calls, I must begin. 

In the spring of 1849, thirty-four years ago, I had 
made a contract to build my present residence and 
otherwise to improve my wife’s property in what was 
then St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, now 
Thirty-second Ward, city of Pittsburgh. In order 
to enable me to superintend these improvements, I 
engaged boarding for myself, wife and son Joel, then 
some 18 months old, with George Chivers, on Vir- 
ginia avenue. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 297 


Mrs. Bigham was very anxious to get up a Sunday 
School, as prior to that time no organization had ex- 
isted for the religious education of what are now 
the Hill wards of the South Side, city of Pittsburgh. 
On consultation with the Rev. William Passavant, 
a lifelong friend, he recommended a student of theol- 
ogy in his own church, the Lutheran. Mrs. Bigham 
engaged to pay him a salary for one year to aid in 
establishing a Sunday School. The German popu- 
lation of that day composed probably a still greater 
percentage of the Hill residents than even now. Al- 
though accidental, this, therefore, was a wise selection. 
I procured the use of the public schoolhouse, on the 
corner of Sycamore and Spring (now Stanwix) streets, 
as a place of meeting. 

The first meeting was held on the afternoon of June 
13, 1849, being, in church language, the first Sunday 
after Trinity. The Sunday School continued to meet 
in that room for over four years, until Grace Church 
was completed. Since it has been held in that build- 
ing, the earlier part of the time in the body of the 
church, and the later time in the basement, or what is 
known as the Sunday School room. This basement 
was not originally finished as it now is, having been 
added very much later. 

The Sunday School during the first and second 
years of its existence was the only one onthe Hill, 
and probably was larger than it has been since. The 
population of the Thirty-second and Thirty-fifth 
Wards was certainly not one-fifth, perhaps not one- 
tenth, of what it now is, but then nearly all the chil- 
dren attended Sunday School. The children of Presby- 
terians, Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans ,and even 
a large number of Roman Catholics, attended, and I 
think it highly creditable to the liberal spirit of the 
school that I never heard of any children being driven 
away by sectarian teaching. 

I will here explain one thing that may seem incon- 
sistent with this last remark. The winter of 1851, 
the second winter after the opening of the school, I 
was a member of the Legislature and Mrs. Bigham 
accompanied me to Harrisburg during the session. I 
had been recognized as superintendent of the school. 
Mr. Cuthbert was one of the teachers, and I was ac- 
customed to invite him to talk to the children, even 


298 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


more frequently than I talked tothem myself. Mrs. 
Bigham had the Bible class of young women, but be- 
fore leaving procured Mr. Ringwalt to take charge of 
her class during her absence. 

We had been using a liturgy for the opening and 
closing of school, and Mrs. Bigham probably re- 
quested Mr. Ringwalt to see this used during our 
absence. Mr. Cuthbert was a Presbyterian, but as 
he taught in the school, he had expected to act as 
superintendent himself and did not approve of this. 
He objected to Mr. Ringwalt’s insisting upon the use 
of the liturgy, and before our return had withdrayva 
from the school. He opened a school in the spring 
of 1851 on the Presbyterian plan, without a liturgy. 
Had I still continued to act as superintendent, the 
withdrawal would not probably have taken place 
just then. Yet I am satisfied it was only a question 
of time. The Presbyterian bees would have swarmed 
ere long. 

This sketch of the Sunday School is only preliminary 
to the organization of Grace Church. We had oc- 
casional services, as often as we could procure the 
attendance of an Episcopal clergyman, in the public 
schoolhouse in 1849-50-51. 

On the 22d of October, 1851, in pursuance of public 
notice, a meeting was held at the schoolhouse, and 
after church service the Rev. William H. Paddock, 
a missionary of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, who had 
been giving occasional services, presided, A. Kirk 
Lewis acted as secretary, and a formal organization 
of a congregation was made according to the regula- 
tions of the Episcopal Church. Seven persons were 
elected as a vestry and two of them as wardens,namely, 
Thomas J. Bigham, senior warden; Alexander Row- 
land, junior warden; George Lowen, William Adams, 
Richard Stubbs, Benjamin Stubbs, A. Kirk Lewis, 
vestry; allof whom are now gone except myself and 
George Lowen. A charter was adopted and an ap- 
plication to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny 
County ordered to be made for the same, which was 
finally granted on the 26th of April, 1852, and ordered 
to be recorded. (See proceedings recorded in Parish 
Register in handwrting of A. Kirk Lewis, deceased, 
then clerk of the first vestry.) 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 299 


My recollecton is that the vestry referred the naming 
of the church to Mrs. Bigham, on the principle that 
the mother has the best right to name the child, and 
she choose the name ‘Grace Church,’ which was 
adopted. She in fact paid about three-fourths of the 
cost of the original church building. 

After the organization of the church, the Sunday 
School and church services continued as before, in the 
schoolhouse, until in January, 1852, at which time 
the Rev. Joseph A. Stone, a missionary of the Diocese 
of Pennsylvania, took charge and devoted his time 
primarily to Grace Church, although giving atten- 
tion also to the other infant congregations in the south- 
ern part of our county. I had made a deed to the 
vestry for the lot, 84 feet in front by 200 feet 
in depth, at the corner of Sycamore and Bertha 
streets, on which the church now stands. 

We had acontract for the erection of the present 
church building at a price named in the contract as 
$2,000, but a number of things were not specifically 
provided for, and, as it turned out, these had to be paid 
for as extras, so that the entire cost of the church build- 
ing as completed in the fall of 1853 somewhat exceeded 
$3,000. The corner stone had been laid April 3, 1852. 

Mr. Stone lived in my family and spent a good deal 
of his time during his 18 months’ service with the 
workmen at the church, and, as was alleged on final 
settlement, gave sundry directions in regard to the 
work which it was claimed gave the contractor the 
right to charge extra. The contractor filed a me- 
chanic’s lien against the building for $2,600. A de- 
fense was made to the claim for extras, and the matter 
was referred to two mechanics, who finally allowed 
$2,242.78 and the costs, $63.22, making the whole 
amount paid $2,306. I will at a later period give a 
more detailed statement of the cost and how it was 
paid. (See page 10.) 

Mr. Stone having resigned after 18 months’ serv- 
ice, the Rev. John G. Furey, another missionary of 
the diocese, took charge of this congregation on June 
1, 1853, and remained for nearly a year. During his 
pastorate the church building was finally completed, 
and the first service in it was held on the 18th of 
September, 1853, with a sermon by the Rev. N. E. 
Cornwell, rector of St. Andrew’s Church, Pittsburgh. 


300 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


The Sunday School was also removed and met in the 
body of the church, no basement then existing. Mr. 
Furey was a married man; lived in the village, and 
mixed more with the people than his predecessor had 
done. He resigned, however, in 1854, and returned 
to Philadelphia. 

The Rey. Richard Smith, an elderly man, was next 
called, and for two years had charge of the congrega- 
tion. He lived in town, and, as we then had no in- 
clined plane to the Hill, he could not always attend 
during the winter season. I took charge of the Sun- 
day School, and in his absence we had lay reading. 
He resigned in the spring of 1856 (April 24th), in 
consequence of general debility, and during the sum- 
mer we had occasional clerical services and in the in- 
tervals lay reading. (Rev. J.S. B. Hodges, assistant 
at Trinity Church at that time, gave occasional serv- 
ices.) 

In December, 1856, the vestry called the Rev. 
Charles W. Quick, rector of St. Andrew’s, Pittsburgh, 
and also Superintendent of the Common Schools of 
Allegheny County. Mr. Quick could, of course, give 
us but one service on Sunday, and this was generally 
in the evening. So far as preaching was concerned, 
he served us faithfully, but he could scarcely be con- 
sidered a representative clergyman of the Episcopal 
Church, as he himself frankly admitted that pay 
five per cent of his brother clergymen agreed witk 
him fully in his doctrinal system. In fact, he was 
accustomed to say that he did not believe a much 
larger percentage of his clerical brethren recognized 
the Westminister Confession of faith as their standard | 
and taught its doctrines from their pulpits. Mr. 
Quick’s belief in Calvanism was a little stronger than 
Bishop Berkly’s, who, when interrogated on the sub- 
ject, replied: ‘“‘ Well, to give the devil his due, John 
Calvin was a great man.’’ Our Church very wisely, 
as I believe, tolerates almost any variety of sentiment 
on these subjects upon which exact uniformity can- 
not be expected. Only a very small portion of her 
members, however, entertain what are recognized 
as Calvanistic views. Mr. Quick has since withdrawn 
from our communion and joined the Reformed Episco- 
pal Church. He filled our pulpit for about two years 
and a half. 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 301 


After a vacancy of a few months, the Rev. Jubal 
Hodges, of St. Mark’s, Birmingham, took charge of 
Grace Church and officiated once on each Sunday, 
usually in the afternoon. 

My recollecton does not serve as to the length of 
his pastorate; I think less than two years. 

For about ten years after the church was built the 
main body of the building was occupied for the Sunday 
School as wel! as for the church services. It was 
found that the pews occupied by the Sunday School 
classes, especially in bad weather, were not in good 
condition for kneeling at church services. Ladies, 
who generally composed a majority of our worship- 
ers, being fastidious about their dresses, as most 
ladies are, objected to kneeling at prayers. Mrs. E. 
M. Ebbs, a cousin of Mrs. Bigham, a wealthy church- 
woman and largely interested in real estate on the 
Hill, proposed to aid in providing a separate building 
for the Sunday School. By excavating a basement 
and raising the church floor some four feet, an ex- 
cellent Sunday School room was obtained, rather 
larger than the original church building. This has 
not only accommodated the Sunday School and general 
church meetings, but has also afforded a comfortable 
room for church fairs and entertainments, hitherto 
indispensable to the revenues of the church. The 
cost of this addition nearly doubled the original cost 
of the church, but greatly added to its usefulness. 

During the period in which these improvements 
were going on the sessions of the Sunday School 
and church services were suspended, and this was the 
only suspension of the Sunday School during the 
early years. In later times we have followed the 
custom of city churches and adjourned in July and 
August, but this was not the rule in our earlier days. 

The excitement of the Rebellion rendered it diffi- 
cult to supply our pulpit during war times, and we 
accepted the services of two missionaries ap- 
pointed primarily for St. Luke's, Chartiers. The 
first of these was the Rev. Gustavus William Mayer, 
a gentleman in deacon orders. We furnished him 
a horse and he attended to both parishes. He was 
a German by birth and education and had not been 
accustomed to our ritual. He was, however, a schol- 


302 <A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


arly man and earnest in the discharge of his duties. 
During his pastorate services were held in the Ger- 
man language at intervals, in addition to the regular 
English service. After about two years he resigned 
and accepted an appointment from the Committee 
on Domestic Missions to a station in the far West. 
I have seen his name in the church paper from 
time to time, and believe he is still on duty out 
there. 

The Pennsylvania Missionary Committee next sent 
a young gentleman with only a license as a lay reader 
to St. Luke’s, named Feltwell. His time was almost 
entirely given to that parish, but he read service per- 
haps a dozen times at Grace Church. He was an 
active, earnest man; had been brought up in the 
Methodist Church, and attached little importance to 
ordination to deacon’s or priest’s orders. He con- 
sulted me once about the baptism of the children of 
two families in St..Luke’s not heretofore belonging 
to the Episcopal Church. I advised him that his 
license as lay reader did not warrant his administer- 
ing baptism, but to make arrangements for a week- 
day service and I would take out Dr. Van Dusen, who 
had generously offered to go whenever called upon. 
I afterwards learned that Mr. Feltwell had baptized 
these children. This was entirely irregular. Some 
clergymen would advise to rebaptize in such a case, 
although others hold that subsequent confirmation 
by the Bishop cures the irregularity. 

Mr. Feltwell was afterwards announced as a clergy- 
man of our Church who had joined the Reformed 
Episcopal Church. This was untrue. So far as ever 
I was informed, he never held anything but a license 
from our Bishop as a lay reader. Bishop Cheney’s 
organization, I apprehend, was very lax on the subject 
of orders and admitted to the ranks of its clergy all 
applicants, however irregular, and Mr. Feltwell in his 
new connection probably found his orders quite as 
regular as those of half his brethren. 

About the close of the Rebellion a new project was 
proposed that it was hoped would have afforded a 
rector on a new and permanent basis. Dr. Killikelly, 
an aged clergyman of our Church, had two daughters 
who were fully competent to take charge of a parish 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 303 


school and also to teach music, and it was proposed 
to have him and his family come and establish a 
school in connection with the parish. I did not 
myself believe the scheme practicable, because we 
had not scholars enough to support a parish school 
among our own people. The residents of the rural 
districts were then crazy for magnificent school- 
houses, each to surpass those in the old city. They 
wanted ten or fifteen rooms in which to classify the 
children. This improved education was the fashionable 
topic then, and it was impossible to arouse any in- 
terest in private or parish schools. That project 
failed. Dr. Killikelly did not remove his family to 
the parish, and was himself entirely too aged to un- 
dertake the double duties of school-teacher and rector. 
He, however, took charge of the parish, labored 
among us for a year, and then resigned. 

This brings us nearly to our present régime, with 
which you all are familiar, of course, and nearly finishes 
my sketch, although only covering about half the 
period of Grace Church’s existence. In 1866 the Rev. 
R. J. Coster took charge of the Bishop Bowman In- 
stitute in Pittsburgh, and at Easter of 1868, over 
fifteen years since, he became our rector. The pres- 
ent arrangement is much the best we have ever had. 
Not the best possible, if only we were able to employ 
Mr. Coster’s full time and he had no school on hand. 
This of course would be an improvement, but until 
that time comes we cannot be better served. Mr. 
Coster, as you all know, gives us regular services every 
Sunday morning. He amdinisters the communion 
regularly. He also takes charge of the Sunday School, 
which was never done by any of our former rectors or 
missionaries. He is always ready to baptize the 
children, marry the young people, attend upon 
the sick and bury the dead. He cannot, of course, 
spend as much time in the congregation as if he had 
not his school duties; yet in every emergency he has 
been ever ready to discharge all clerical duties, and 
has always done far more than we have any right to 
expect for the meager salary we pay him. 

And now, in conclusion, permit me to add a word 
of commendation for our rector. In the 15 years of 
his service I have never heard him utter a word of 


304 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


complaint. Your parish has never been so faithfully 
served. Heisentirely unselfish. In all the relations 
of life he has shown himself to be a perfect gentleman 
in its highest sense. 

I had intended to state my recollection of the cost 
of the church and its maintenance, and by whom paid, 
in our earlier history, but refrain, fearful lest my rec- 
ollecton might fail and injustice be done by omitting 
some equally deserving as those mentioned. 

I have approximated in regard to the original cost 
and main improvement of the Sunday School room. 
(See page 18.) In later times the Ladies’ Mite Society, 
tunder the lead of Mrs. Coster, Mrs. McMillin, and 

others, have been the active agents in détraying the 
expense of repairs to the church and procuring an 
organ. I have not been personally cognizant of these, 
but believe the amounts approximate $1,500. John 
C. Shaler, Jr., has recently made a report to the vestry 
which is better authority than any statement I could 
give. Our rector makes an annual statement of 
church expenditures and contributions, which are 
published in the Journal. The last one now before 
me shows an aggregate of $1,064.77. 

Mrs. Maria Adams, a member of the congregation, 
at her death, in 1879, left asmall legacy of $50 to the 
church. Mr. Marland,thinking that every congregation 
should have a reserve fund,proposed to treat this as the 
beginning and sort of nest-egg of a future endowment 
fund. This year we received a distributive share | 
of a legacy of George M. Jackson, deceased. These 
moneys are invested in the Dollar Savings Bank, un- 
der the name of the Maria Adams Endowmert Fund, 
and with additions amount now to about $420. The 
vestry invite annual contributions on the first Sun- 
day of Advent of each year, to be added to this deposit, 
hoping that in the future it may become a source of 
revenue to the church. Any member of the church 
may during his life or at his death make additions to 
this fund. 


Dolan PVM Sen Vater ae et a ly IN) Gooey Se ae 26, 148, 233 
TACK nA SoM MELIANI RA 134, 231 
middtece prey Ne |. COSter 0 Fe de 42 
Admitted to Convention, Grace Church............ 9 
PU SeattGsw MI SSTOM IN ey Maln Sa ENE tA PER bh 45 
“tea (THORS Nt AR A LEE ETA OnE TEA BAG A PLU A 20 
BIEN 2° TRU AE OA CRE So MM aE a ae 48 
Pininenseer LM GIObi i.) ek hae acs 40 
PnntialWomvention, Deputies...00).) 65. 20d 140 
PS OG MULES MUTE, yey oak able, «Ab eae Oa LS 71 
Ashford, Thomas F., Sr... . .96, 137, 138, 142, 248, 283 
ISAO UE Ses A AME at A 166—208 
1SXoraavereyna)] Bp cghiaa key aay Aen RAMI aT Ue cata Te wena ge ne Ay 27, 106, 256 
Btpletorimectenina ya eats siomik ee UREA MS Rid iia 120 
Bisham. homas Joo Sri sic). lai! 32, 36, 134, 235, 262 
USINSnLaRn nl) 11 7s 0 DURA ANG aS aA ea De Ne a eR 240 
“ Piedneehiaal,! E.G ORE ATE eed Aa oR 101, 254 
Bigham, Mrs. MariaL....... 49, 55, 123, 126, 237, 257 
Bigham homas J Jr.) 138, 160, 226, 286 
Bindlexguvims. Emmeline... 2. ek seb ee. 216, 236 
Bimalevampemn Ce esha 59, 136, 137, 216 
LEVIS 2S. CUBA, ARMA een Ee peed OE 120 
Bishaprweanzo POther i. i) eu i a 9 
PSIG GMCEELOOb Noh eee eels kale 20, 21, 24, 37, 43 
Bisnommmmibeead. (0). lek ee los 37, 70, 84, 95 
Bihopyiteimeham se oe RR 43, 46 
Bogee ns. Satan od by BD, 86, 243 
Boh Gaiiensm Ami TiTe MO Nei Lek ABU ies ha OM: 255 
omar aliatray WSs yay 134, 135, 271 
MEARNS ict cha NPM yy: chee hi eM aye 33, 112, 119 
Iberian Nereowraia sets). ead 33, 37, 134, 145, 236, 267 
Mercy mula) PRTC cry ta CN aN 33, 37, 234 
HEH REEM PRTC MATE ioe ba )cbais coelsatalale Nudiene 55, 60, 113 
TS elecaill Sy, SURAT) GIES I Ea TOT MR a 230-256 
(ORE MISE TN) Fee yin Gre NN AUI UAN Pe ERIN gd CISA 49 
Re IPESDOD Ss NaN ANI ALE A aN) duo 120 
Garr MN ATO Wr hole Saale charms LNG I a biti SN PAS has lai 


Ghanbertom Chiatne hyn Ue a ELAS LS AS Ree SANS RAL 130 


306 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


OF shor h eM RRO eR PN SHURE UE LidGk a A) 27,30, 00 2ie 
Choir, History of-.)).. ose). 2 110 
Choir; women admitted iio. 500 00 ee 97 
Christmas Services 40020 67, 74, 82 
Church dressed with palms... .....)).0 3 103 
RSP NEL Wy Oa es ee ea 101, 117, 254 
Confirmation Class: 2/5). (/ 8 eae 20, 25, 37, 83 
Confirmations as CM Ye 209-214 
Congregational Meeting....05.0.04.0 2.003 72, 99, 103 
Consecration of Church). ie) Wo 21 
Consecration) Sentence of. ))3). 40 2 ee 23 
Coster; Rev. R. J., eighth Rector, .).).. 0. eee 18 

Lenten Pastoral) ee 28 

Twentieth Anniversary........\.\..)/. 3, 38 

Trip West.) 2.0 71 

Lecture, ‘‘English Reformation”’............. 78 

Summer at Cresson...) 0000000... ee 79 

Thirtieth Anniversary. ..)./..\. 0. See 91 

Reception for 2. ).../. .)./.).'45). o/s he er 95 

Children of, Baptized ) 0.) .\.).)., 4). 175 

Biographical Sketch of... ).. 0. Js). ce 285 

Mr. T. J. Bigham’s Estimate of...............3038 
Crumpton, Rev.’Thomas, D.D... 2.0. Jae 47 
Dashiell, Rev. Bo Bic. eee 43 
Deputies to Diocesan Conventions....... 21, 140-142 
Deed of Donation of Church! 3 4). ee 140 
Derwaitt es see en eee Lieue 34, 111, 185, 150, 216 
Digby, Walliang oes bec ele Ue 34, 110 
Dodworth, James oreo ee oe ae 61, 114, 223 
Easter Services............54, 71, 76, 85, 98, 102, 108 
Endowment) Band) Se 27, 55 
Bzechiels| (Daniel De i a a wie 60, 113, 114 
Bamilies. Easter: 1898!) oeke ee 157 
Bereuson), Eigen IN io i) oie) st lee iio ate 50, 238 
Financial Distress)\1893.. 2.4). Wis ee 75 
Pinancial Reporte.) ei call hee 56, 104, 105 
Rong SpOMe ive Se ew eis re ie iaton ke <a 27, 122 
Furey; Revs)J. Gs joie ees pee ee 11 
Gas Lights ie) ie biel lei al 95 
Goldthorp; Samuel Helos ales sails ee wee 146, 237 


Goldthorp, Mrs. Sarahle sci sia oMiaae 32, 36, 234 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 307 


Goldthonp, Mrs. Joshua iii ie 24. 34, 112, 113 
rateenen pis Mice Mosby Mi LN ae sit ene 59 
Grace Church— 
TROCALIOR ERIM B ya are eicyio buat ei TAN gy Shue 8 
(0 asa eits 5 Ca 1 URNA Nae ARE Ra er A 8 
Pon ica COGherSbONe .) Uk KO io 9 
Admitted to Conwention 0200222 doe. boo. 9 
ChartentGranted eens Vay Rope MENA S80 py lal yl 9 
PMO TENT NGM ACOIECR. cc U vada kyl tn oki 9 
PL COSt OL CHereE mand Lott ji h ew ld Ublac i uhnee 10 
Costiohbasement Room sie yn ou 18 
1 Scene rere Lal Ps) OAS ee UCT SIAM aN aA a 20 
IREGDEHEC RESO ee idk Loin: capneralate divi el a Ryn. 20 
WOMSEETA TENOR a NO tay mnie Ul SAUD) AMEND 21 
Ganceeration Sentence. vee a ee 23 
SM PeMTaANCLROLED Via Hanes elt SIR D etna aN g Frontispiece 
SESE Otien Mimo ont wie als Wilhu cies 2 ah ae Til 19 
BP ECSCOES LO ROM iaiats sie icin ai ee ek eae IO 25 
BTeSCOMs TS OE i Ane heen uae ere Gs) 
ME TeESCOINe ELC. TOOQ: fs /.\0i ihe Ske od Me Ty el 96 
Pi uintenon Viewlor Chiurche 08h Sac a to 9 
Semi-Centermtal ee yi an in 27ST e Ee 100 
Reeordl Parisian Papen. i Aas earete, oe Bh aa 51 
SoZ UTES SR EAS AS AU AUS ey aes ema pda aa 95 
OloWe he es aN RU MMU NACA ARMS Reea To HME A LOST Lata 128 
RFESERIESO USNS SSR D NS nek as SUG Ke 0 ae 134-139 
GOS NW allltearra ye eta eM A EC Ls lO a ENG BD atid 74, 78 
ttle GOosben uM MO ben a GANA TN Mun eeu ag eM 295 
Peretti race Crraesr ety 2) kia eh eu ea 290 
Dea LeU IND hs ateyc WP el EN I STL A et IRL la 119 
Bbeigaiey | Mlasy Mier yy oa 2) asa falar Sued lala Vole hptaae Nel 248 
LEE ovno ia IT ab a7 Re Teen ne UR Re PL Zo Qa 
Places. Wea! Sammie tte ha su oN en bile 275 
Remel pes vere. (anioadcinis ci kked SUNT A a 12, 301 
LOWS NV LULT Tae GY RANA GG ONO Nam ee ia 249 
Wehnspn /\Georgev A ieee ese seein ta Uo 282 
eriogs) Bishop. Nooo l  Oe Ne 20, 21, 24, 37, 43 
LOU GE 1 Arg Br gh BRM 8 SRA A Me A PSI A CA DO 16,17 
WeetesnCanved: Walia e 382 \ Sei Naas ele alae SoZ 
WECHUTES HOOUTSCOL A HEP ON Humoral ahs ia lesaatecats MIRAI NRU Eo silts 73 
Lecture, « Hnglish Reformation ”' 21/200! 80. ed. oo el 78 


HB EMbE MI ASEO TA Rye ea eis legend Mea ia ie DACA NUH UDCA TEU Teh 28 


308 A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 


Renten Services snes On eG ee 31, 69, 75, 84, 103 
Letters of Congratulation... ... J. 5..eee 47, 48, 49 
Lewis (AK e ene ee ek Ge 266 
Lovelock, George...) 0. 6...) 25 
Lowen, George T. 3.3). 0 a 235, 264 
Lowen, Mrs. Mary.....0......)s..0)).) ) 26, 232 
Marland, Alfred..i0.000020. 0). ;) 279 
Marriages. foe a ot sine dele oe en 215-229 
Martin) Miss Nellie. 0.00 60)0..00.. .0 118, 119 
Maxwell, Rev. Samuels...) 2...) 0c eee 49, 247 
Mayer, Rew: Gi We nee ees 13, 14, 15, 301 
McCandless, Rev. J. H:. 0...) 4. 9 48 
MeMillin, Emily... .00.02....-1) 2. 58 
MeMillin, Capt. Joo. 5 oe 69, 242, 272 
MeMillin, Mrs. Mary B.2...0...5... 09 77 
Memorial Windows. ..(..000.. 0. 220. 36, 37 
Mission, S.5., Duquesne Heights........ 66, 68, 75, 82 
Mite Society..... (Re island 2 a 37, 80, 81 
Name of the'Church. 20). .200)..0) 0 299 
Neely. Fe Wie 90, 99, 289 
GeO eee) ld a ee 27, 107, 109 
Palms. Church dressed with. ))))0. 2) 103 
Parishioners, First iuistion. (0.0) 0 143 
Parishioners, Second Uist.of./0)...)0 0/0 144 
Parishioners, Third Wistot i) ).0) 0 ee 148 
Parishioners, October; 1903004. sue 159-165 
Paving Grandview Avenue... ..... -\. 0 (00 S0eaee 88 
Paving Bertha Street... 0.0.50. Ur 88 
Pawing Sycamore Street... 2...) .)). 2 88 
Paving, Cost of; to Church... ........ 2.) 89 
Prayer Books, etc., for Chancel .\...\. 2... 76 
Prayer Desici ) 3) AUS Dal ieee phe oe 122 
Prosser, (George. se Oe oy ar 37 
Public School Built: .. 5 2s G00!) 88 
Public School 'Gables blown out... . 0.) eee 99 
Quick, Rew.) Wia luk yea Ae a 12, 300 
Reading Room, Mount Washington.............. 125 
Reception, Rector’s 30th Anniversary............. 95 
Record; ‘Parish Paper iin ieee .ob naa) aide 51, 52, 538 


Rector and Vestry, 1908.0) 4 5).)2)2 ee apolar le Ee 285 


A HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH PARISH. 309 


TR ere) SRSA S015 32, 234 
TERSEGE AT SSIS See 9 a eR RD en Qe 26, 233 
Remus ceOmuParnsh «2 4002 bcos gy oe Lae. 97 
eee OH PECASUREL 2 226! Be a el ee 104, 105 
Sadler TOOL Ae ae eats een, Cat scene epee 77 
Series taR eC MISSION 15) (2o\ 20 rs ge ae se bee 45 
Shaler, John C., Jr. . .25, 41, 51, 61, 80, 89, 90, 246, 269 
Siaiiit UDG) ile pees tee ee a ee DPT 129 
Sener IMteCMArGl.- 65. 4) Ss sikhs Mets oe 11, 300 
SaTa ATi '] EVENT gl 2 Ris ge Be eae cg LOE aT eR Gg 47 
SALE ESSETIONEES MEM OAL Soy tits Co aL ee Ee 66, 241 
SEMSOTIOliver Eras 2 us ee 100, 221, 253, 280 
Sami eer PASE BROA. Lol see eae boas 10, 299 
mie aster punday, 19028. 0. is)0- 65 525.622. - 98 
Stout, Melville L........... 35, 111, 115, 116, 281, 288 
PURE OEE Ye oe geome cy wield hc 61, 62, 74, 83 
PIERRE RUE IEE BICES 1 Rds Nahe ayy Varios Sia Woe 57 
SWEEZEE Wi tlisaiy EPs if ke eee! Oo 116, 117 
Taylor, Miss Louise, Organist............ 66, 114, 115 
siitepaapesmce Mrs? Mary) oe dale oN ou 247 
Rorrences David Re removals. Sloe. USS e ee he 99 
Mabastegian, Reerorship gf. oot! e 2 n'y Kees: 12,15 
ES FS 2 0554 BOE a AD re omg tS Re WNC Eh py Tac 8 
Nema Peet eee te Pt) ese ne eed ale 19 
Weary Beltre 0 2 Poe li not later oe ay See wal 285 
Wiiteieg Perey Go oo al I es 68, 80 
Wintsaunday Services. 2.2205 Yologs Face 78, 89, 106 
Whittier, Mrs. Adeline Matilda................86, 248 
Waliiamcer Samuelece ay. 2 ne se Ue ae n Ul Wt en 
Witncows Chaneel Sry tite J 2's aie aaa by Cee ere 1A! 


Windows otamed-Glass: flo) te Seen eee 36, 123 


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